1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; providing for policy for early childhood and kindergarten 
1.3 	through grade 12 education, including general education, education excellence, 
1.4 	special education, facilities and technology, early childhood education, libraries, 
1.5 	and state agencies;amending Minnesota Statutes 2014, sections 13.32, 
1.6 	subdivision 5; 120A.41; 120B.021, subdivision 4; 120B.022, subdivisions 1a, 
1.7 	1b; 120B.024, subdivision 2; 120B.11, subdivision 2; 120B.12, subdivisions 
1.8 	2, 4a; 120B.125; 120B.30, subdivisions 1, 1a, 3, 4, by adding subdivisions; 
1.9 	120B.31, subdivision 2; 121A.46, by adding subdivisions; 121A.53, subdivision 
1.10 	1; 121A.575; 121A.61, subdivision 3; 121A.67, by adding a subdivision; 
1.11 	122A.09, subdivision 4; 122A.14, subdivision 3; 122A.18, subdivision 2, by 
1.12 	adding a subdivision; 122A.20, subdivision 1; 122A.21, subdivision 2; 122A.23; 
1.13 	122A.245, subdivisions 1, 7; 122A.30; 122A.31, subdivisions 1, 2; 122A.40, 
1.14 	subdivision 8; 122A.41, subdivision 5; 122A.414, subdivision 3; 122A.60, 
1.15 	subdivision 4; 122A.69; 123A.24, subdivision 1; 123B.77, subdivision 3; 
1.16 	123B.88, subdivision 1; 124D.09, subdivisions 5, 5a, 9; 124D.10, subdivisions 1, 
1.17 	3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, by adding a subdivision; 124D.11, subdivision 9; 124D.121; 
1.18 	124D.122; 124D.126, subdivision 1; 124D.127; 124D.128, subdivision 1; 
1.19 	124D.165, subdivisions 2, 3, 4, by adding subdivisions; 124D.72; 124D.73, 
1.20 	subdivisions 3, 4, by adding a subdivision; 124D.74, subdivisions 1, 6; 
1.21 	124D.75, subdivisions 1, 2, 3, 9; 124D.76; 124D.78; 124D.79, subdivisions 1, 
1.22 	2; 124D.791, subdivision 4; 124D.98; 125A.01; 125A.023, subdivisions 3, 4; 
1.23 	125A.027; 125A.08; 125A.085; 125A.21; 125A.28; 125A.63, subdivisions 2, 3, 
1.24 	4, 5; 125A.75, subdivision 9; 125A.76, subdivisions 1, 2c; 125B.26, subdivision 
1.25 	2; 126C.10, subdivision 13a; 126C.13, subdivisions 3a, 4; 126C.15, subdivision 
1.26 	1; 126C.17, subdivisions 1, 2; 126C.48, subdivision 8; 127A.05, subdivision 
1.27 	6, by adding a subdivision; 127A.353, subdivision 2; 127A.49, subdivision 
1.28 	1; 127A.70, subdivision 1; Laws 2014, chapter 312, article 16, section 15; 
1.29 	proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapters 120B; 125A; 
1.30 	repealing Minnesota Statutes 2014, sections 120B.128; 120B.35, subdivision 
1.31 	5; 125A.63, subdivision 1; 126C.12, subdivision 6; 126C.41, subdivision 1; 
1.32 	Minnesota Rules, part 3500.1000.
1.33 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

2.1 	ARTICLE 1
2.2 	GENERAL EDUCATION

2.3 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 126C.10, subdivision 13a, is amended to 
2.4 	read:
2.5 		Subd. 13a.Operating capital levy. To obtain operating capital revenue for fiscal 
2.6 	year 2015 and later, a district may levy an amount not more than the product of its 
2.7 	operating capital revenue for the fiscal year times the lesser of one or the ratio of its 
2.8 	adjusted net tax capacity per adjusted marginal cost pupil unit to the operating capital 
2.9 	equalizing factor. The operating capital equalizing factor equals $14,500.

2.10 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment for 
2.11 	fiscal year 2015 and later.

2.12 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 126C.13, subdivision 3a, is amended to read:
2.13 		Subd. 3a.Student achievement rate. The commissioner must establish the student 
2.14 	achievement rate by July 1 September 30 of each year for levies payable in the following 
2.15 	year. The student achievement rate must be a rate, rounded up to the nearest hundredth of 
2.16 	a percent, that, when applied to the adjusted net tax capacity for all districts, raises the 
2.17 	amount specified in this subdivision. The student achievement rate must be the rate that 
2.18 	raises $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2015 and later years. The student achievement rate may 
2.19 	not be changed due to changes or corrections made to a district's adjusted net tax capacity 
2.20 	after the rate has been established.

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

2.22 	Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 126C.13, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
2.23 		Subd. 4.General education aid. (a) For fiscal years 2013 and 2014 only, a district's 
2.24 	general education aid is the sum of the following amounts:
2.25 	(1) general education revenue, excluding equity revenue, total operating capital 
2.26 	revenue, alternative teacher compensation revenue, and transition revenue;
2.27 	(2) operating capital aid under section 126C.10, subdivision 13b;
2.28 	(3) equity aid under section 126C.10, subdivision 30;
2.29 	(4) alternative teacher compensation aid under section 126C.10, subdivision 36;
2.30 	(5) transition aid under section 126C.10, subdivision 33;
2.31 	(6) shared time aid under section 126C.01, subdivision 7;
2.32 	(7) referendum aid under section 126C.17, subdivisions 7 and 7a; and
3.1 	(8) online learning aid according to section 124D.096.
3.2 	(b) For fiscal year 2015 and later, a district's general education aid equals:
3.3 	(1) general education revenue, excluding operating capital revenue, equity revenue, 
3.4 	local optional revenue, and transition revenue, minus the student achievement levy, 
3.5 	multiplied times the ratio of the actual amount of student achievement levy levied to the 
3.6 	permitted student achievement levy; plus
3.7 	(2) operating capital aid under section 126C.10, subdivision 13b;
3.8 	(2) (3) equity aid under section 126C.10, subdivision 30; plus
3.9 	(3) (4) transition aid under section 126C.10, subdivision 33; plus
3.10 	(4) (5) shared time aid under section 126C.10, subdivision 7; plus
3.11 	(5) (6) referendum aid under section 126C.17, subdivisions 7 and 7a; plus
3.12 	(6) (7) online learning aid under section 124D.096; plus
3.13 	(7) (8) local optional aid according to section 126C.10, subdivision 2d, paragraph (d).

3.14 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for fiscal year 2015 and later.

3.15 	Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 126C.17, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
3.16 		Subdivision 1.Referendum allowance. (a) A district's initial referendum allowance 
3.17 	equals the result of the following calculations:
3.18 	(1) multiply the referendum allowance the district would have received for fiscal 
3.19 	year 2015 under Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 126C.17, subdivision 1, based on 
3.20 	elections held before July 1, 2013, by the resident marginal cost pupil units the district 
3.21 	would have counted for fiscal year 2015 under Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 126C.05;
3.22 	(2) add to the result of clause (1) the adjustment the district would have received 
3.23 	under Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 127A.47, subdivision 7, paragraphs (a), (b), and 
3.24 	(c), based on elections held before July 1, 2013;
3.25 	(3) divide the result of clause (2) by the district's adjusted pupil units for fiscal 
3.26 	year 2015;
3.27 	(4) add to the result of clause (3) any additional referendum allowance per adjusted 
3.28 	pupil unit authorized by elections held between July 1, 2013, and December 31, 2013;
3.29 	(5) add to the result in clause (4) any additional referendum allowance resulting from 
3.30 	inflation adjustments approved by the voters prior to January 1, 2014;
3.31 	(6) subtract from the result of clause (5), the sum of a district's actual local optional 
3.32 	levy and local optional aid under section 126C.10, subdivision 2e, divided by the adjusted 
3.33 	pupil units of the district for that school year; and
3.34 	(7) if the result of clause (6) is less than zero, set the allowance to zero.
4.1 	(b) A district's referendum allowance equals the sum of the district's initial 
4.2 	referendum allowance, plus any new referendum allowance authorized between July 1, 
4.3 	2013, and December 31, 2013, under subdivision 9a, plus any additional referendum 
4.4 	allowance per adjusted pupil unit authorized after December 31, 2013, minus any 
4.5 	allowances expiring in fiscal year 2016 or later, provided that the allowance may not be 
4.6 	less than zero. For a district with more than one referendum allowance for fiscal year 
4.7 	2015 under Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 126C.17, the allowance calculated under 
4.8 	paragraph (a), clause (3), must be divided into components such that the same percentage 
4.9 	of the district's allowance expires at the same time as the old allowances would have 
4.10 	expired under Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 126C.17. For a district with more than one 
4.11 	allowance for fiscal year 2015 that expires in the same year, the reduction under paragraph 
4.12 	(a), clause (6), to offset local optional revenue shall be made first from any allowances that 
4.13 	do not have an inflation adjustment approved by the voters.

4.14 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment for 
4.15 	fiscal year 2015 and later.

4.16 	Sec. 5. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 126C.17, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
4.17 		Subd. 2.Referendum allowance limit. (a) Notwithstanding subdivision 1, for 
4.18 	fiscal year 2015 and later, a district's referendum allowance must not exceed the annual 
4.19 	inflationary increase as calculated under paragraph (b) times the greatest of:
4.20 	(1) $1,845;
4.21 	(2) the sum of the referendum revenue the district would have received for fiscal 
4.22 	year 2015 under Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 126C.17, subdivision 4, based on 
4.23 	elections held before July 1, 2013, and the adjustment the district would have received 
4.24 	under Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 127A.47, subdivision 7, paragraphs (a), (b), and 
4.25 	(c), based on elections held before July 1, 2013, divided by the district's adjusted pupil 
4.26 	units for fiscal year 2015;
4.27 	(3) the product of the referendum allowance limit the district would have received 
4.28 	for fiscal year 2015 under Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 126C.17, subdivision 2, and 
4.29 	the resident marginal cost pupil units the district would have received for fiscal year 2015 
4.30 	under Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 126C.05, subdivision 6, plus the adjustment the 
4.31 	district would have received under Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 127A.47, subdivision 
4.32 	7, paragraphs (a), (b), and (c), based on elections held before July 1, 2013, divided by 
4.33 	the district's adjusted pupil units for fiscal year 2015; minus $424 for a district receiving 
4.34 	local optional revenue under section 126C.10, subdivision 2d, paragraph (a), minus 
5.1 	$212 for a district receiving local optional revenue under section 126C.10, subdivision 
5.2 	2d, paragraph (b); or
5.3 	(4) for a newly reorganized district created after July 1, 2013, the referendum 
5.4 	revenue authority for each reorganizing district in the year preceding reorganization 
5.5 	divided by its adjusted pupil units for the year preceding reorganization.
5.6 	(b) For purposes of this subdivision, for fiscal year 2016 and later, "inflationary 
5.7 	increase" means one plus the percentage change in the Consumer Price Index for urban 
5.8 	consumers, as prepared by the United States Bureau of Labor Standards, for the current 
5.9 	fiscal year to fiscal year 2015. For fiscal year 2016 and later, for purposes of paragraph (a), 
5.10 	clause (3), the inflationary increase equals one-fourth of the percentage increase in the 
5.11 	formula allowance for that year compared with the formula allowance for fiscal year 2015.

5.12 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment for 
5.13 	fiscal year 2015 and later.

5.14 	Sec. 6. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 126C.48, subdivision 8, is amended to read:
5.15 		Subd. 8.Taconite payment and other reductions. (1) Reductions in levies 
5.16 	pursuant to subdivision 1 must be made prior to the reductions in clause (2).
5.17 	(2) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, districts that have revenue 
5.18 	pursuant to sections 298.018; 298.225; 298.24 to 298.28, except an amount distributed 
5.19 	under sections 298.26; 298.28, subdivision 4, paragraphs (c), clause (ii), and (d); 298.34 to 
5.20 	298.39; 298.391 to 298.396; 298.405; 477A.15; and any law imposing a tax upon severed 
5.21 	mineral values must reduce the levies authorized by this chapter and chapters 120B, 122A, 
5.22 	123A, 123B, 124A, 124D, 125A, and 127A, excluding the student achievement levy 
5.23 	under section 126C.13, subdivision 3b, by 95 percent of the sum of the previous year's 
5.24 	revenue specified under this clause and the amount attributable to the same production 
5.25 	year distributed to the cities and townships within the school district under section 298.28, 
5.26 	subdivision 2, paragraph (c).
5.27 	(3) The amount of any voter approved referendum, facilities down payment, and 
5.28 	debt levies shall not be reduced by more than 50 percent under this subdivision, except 
5.29 	that payments under section 298.28, subdivision 7a, may reduce the debt service levy by 
5.30 	more than 50 percent. In administering this paragraph, the commissioner shall first reduce 
5.31 	the nonvoter approved levies of a district; then, if any payments, severed mineral value 
5.32 	tax revenue or recognized revenue under paragraph (2) remains, the commissioner shall 
5.33 	reduce any voter approved referendum levies authorized under section 126C.17; then, if 
5.34 	any payments, severed mineral value tax revenue or recognized revenue under paragraph 
5.35 	(2) remains, the commissioner shall reduce any voter approved facilities down payment 
6.1 	levies authorized under section 123B.63 and then, if any payments, severed mineral value 
6.2 	tax revenue or recognized revenue under paragraph (2) remains, the commissioner shall 
6.3 	reduce any voter approved debt levies.
6.4 	(4) Before computing the reduction pursuant to this subdivision of the health and 
6.5 	safety levy authorized by sections 123B.57 and 126C.40, subdivision 5, the commissioner 
6.6 	shall ascertain from each affected school district the amount it proposes to levy under 
6.7 	each section or subdivision. The reduction shall be computed on the basis of the amount 
6.8 	so ascertained.
6.9 	(5) To the extent the levy reduction calculated under paragraph (2) exceeds the 
6.10 	limitation in paragraph (3), an amount equal to the excess must be distributed from the 
6.11 	school district's distribution under sections 298.225, 298.28, and 477A.15 in the following 
6.12 	year to the cities and townships within the school district in the proportion that their 
6.13 	taxable net tax capacity within the school district bears to the taxable net tax capacity of 
6.14 	the school district for property taxes payable in the year prior to distribution. No city or 
6.15 	township shall receive a distribution greater than its levy for taxes payable in the year prior 
6.16 	to distribution. The commissioner of revenue shall certify the distributions of cities and 
6.17 	towns under this paragraph to the county auditor by September 30 of the year preceding 
6.18 	distribution. The county auditor shall reduce the proposed and final levies of cities and 
6.19 	towns receiving distributions by the amount of their distribution. Distributions to the cities 
6.20 	and towns shall be made at the times provided under section 298.27.

6.21 	Sec. 7.  REPEALER.
 6.22 	Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 126C.41, subdivision 1, is repealed.

6.23 	ARTICLE 2
6.24 	EDUCATION EXCELLENCE

6.25 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 13.32, subdivision 5, is amended to read:
6.26 		Subd. 5.Directory information. Information designated as directory information 
6.27 	pursuant to the provisions of United States Code, title 20, section 1232g and Code of 
6.28 	Federal Regulations, title 34, section 99.37 which are in effect on January 1, 20073, 
6.29 	2012, is public data on individuals, to the extent required under federal law. When 
6.30 	conducting the directory information designation and notice process required by federal 
6.31 	law, an educational agency or institution shall give parents and students notice of the 
6.32 	right to refuse to let the agency or institution designate any or all data about the student 
6.33 	as directory information. This notice may be given by any means reasonably likely to 
6.34 	inform the parents and students of the right.

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

7.2 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 120A.41, is amended to read:
7.3 	120A.41 LENGTH OF SCHOOL YEAR; HOURS OF INSTRUCTION.
7.4 	A school board's annual school calendar must include at least 425 hours of 
7.5 	instruction for a kindergarten student without a disability, 935 hours of instruction for a 
7.6 	student in grades 1 though 6, and 1,020 hours of instruction for a student in grades 7 
7.7 	though 12, not including summer school. The school calendar for all-day kindergarten 
7.8 	must include at least 850 hours of instruction for the school year. A school board's annual 
7.9 	calendar must include at least 165 days of instruction for a student in grades 1 through 
7.10 	11 unless a four-day week schedule has been approved by the commissioner board under 
7.11 	section 124D.126 124D.122.

7.12 	Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 120B.021, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
7.13 		Subd. 4.Revisions and reviews required. (a) The commissioner of education must 
7.14 	revise and appropriately embed technology and information literacy standards consistent 
7.15 	with recommendations from school media specialists into the state's academic standards 
7.16 	and graduation requirements and implement a ten-year cycle to review and, consistent 
7.17 	with the review, revise state academic standards and related benchmarks, consistent with 
7.18 	this subdivision. During each ten-year review and revision cycle, the commissioner also 
7.19 	must examine the alignment of each required academic standard and related benchmark 
7.20 	with the knowledge and skills students need for career and college readiness and advanced 
7.21 	work in the particular subject area. The commissioner must include the contributions of 
7.22 	Minnesota American Indian tribes and communities as related to the academic standards 
7.23 	during the review and revision of the required academic standards.
7.24 	(b) The commissioner must ensure that the statewide mathematics assessments 
7.25 	administered to students in grades 3 through 8 and 11 are aligned with the state academic 
7.26 	standards in mathematics, consistent with section 120B.30, subdivision 1, paragraph 
7.27 	(b). The commissioner must implement a review of the academic standards and related 
7.28 	benchmarks in mathematics beginning in the 2015-2016 2020-2021 school year and 
7.29 	every ten years thereafter.
7.30 	(c) The commissioner must implement a review of the academic standards and related 
7.31 	benchmarks in arts beginning in the 2016-2017 school year and every ten years thereafter.
7.32 	(d) The commissioner must implement a review of the academic standards and 
7.33 	related benchmarks in science beginning in the 2017-2018 school year and every ten 
7.34 	years thereafter.
8.1 	(e) The commissioner must implement a review of the academic standards and 
8.2 	related benchmarks in language arts beginning in the 2018-2019 school year and every 
8.3 	ten years thereafter.
8.4 	(f) The commissioner must implement a review of the academic standards and 
8.5 	related benchmarks in social studies beginning in the 2019-2020 school year and every 
8.6 	ten years thereafter.
8.7 	(g) School districts and charter schools must revise and align local academic 
8.8 	standards and high school graduation requirements in health, world languages, and career 
8.9 	and technical education to require students to complete the revised standards beginning 
8.10 	in a school year determined by the school district or charter school. School districts and 
8.11 	charter schools must formally establish a periodic review cycle for the academic standards 
8.12 	and related benchmarks in health, world languages, and career and technical education.

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

8.14 	Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 120B.022, subdivision 1a, is amended to read:
8.15 		Subd. 1a.Foreign language and culture; proficiency certificates. (a) World 
8.16 	languages teachers and other school staff should develop and implement world languages 
8.17 	programs that acknowledge and reinforce the language proficiency and cultural awareness 
8.18 	that non-English language speakers already possess, and encourage students' proficiency 
8.19 	in multiple world languages. Programs under this section must encompass indigenous 
8.20 	American Indian languages and cultures, among other world languages and cultures. The 
8.21 	department shall consult with postsecondary institutions in developing related professional 
8.22 	development opportunities for purposes of this section.
8.23 	(b) Any Minnesota public, charter, or nonpublic school may award Minnesota 
8.24 	World Language Proficiency Certificates or Minnesota World Language Proficiency High 
8.25 	Achievement Certificates, consistent with this subdivision.
8.26 	(c) The Minnesota World Language Proficiency Certificate recognizes students who 
8.27 	demonstrate listening, speaking, reading, and writing language skills at the American 
8.28 	Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages' Intermediate-Low level on a valid and 
8.29 	reliable assessment tool. For languages listed as Category 3 by the United States Foreign 
8.30 	Service Institute or Category 4 by the United States Defense Language Institute, the 
8.31 	standard is Intermediate-Low for listening and speaking and Novice-High for reading 
8.32 	and writing.
8.33 	(d) The Minnesota World Language Proficiency High Achievement Certificate 
8.34 	recognizes students who demonstrate listening, speaking, reading, and writing language 
8.35 	skills at the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages' Pre-Advanced level 
9.1 	for K-12 learners on a valid and reliable assessment tool. For languages listed as Category 
9.2 	3 by the United States Foreign Service Institute or Category 4 by the United States 
9.3 	Defense Language Institute, the standard is Pre-Advanced for listening and speaking and 
9.4 	Intermediate-Mid for reading and writing.

9.5 	Sec. 5. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 120B.022, subdivision 1b, is amended to read:
9.6 		Subd. 1b.State bilingual and multilingual seals. (a) Consistent with efforts to 
9.7 	strive for the world's best workforce under sections 120B.11 and 124D.10, subdivision 8, 
9.8 	paragraph (u), and close the academic achievement and opportunity gap under sections 
9.9 	124D.861 and 124D.862, voluntary state bilingual and multilingual seals are established 
9.10 	to recognize high school graduates students who demonstrate level 3 an advanced-low 
9.11 	level or an intermediate-high level of functional native proficiency in listening, speaking, 
9.12 	reading, and writing on either the Foreign Services Institute language assessments aligned 
9.13 	with American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages' (ACTFL) proficiency 
9.14 	tests guidelines or on equivalent valid and reliable assessments in one or more languages 
9.15 	in addition to English. American Sign Language is a language other than English for 
9.16 	purposes of this subdivision and a world language for purposes of subdivision 1a.
9.17 	(b) In addition to paragraph (a), to be eligible to receive a seal:
9.18 	(1) students must satisfactorily complete all required English language arts credits; 
9.19 	and
9.20 	(2) students whose primary language is other than English must demonstrate mastery 
9.21 	of Minnesota's English language proficiency standards.
9.22 	(c) Consistent with this subdivision, a high school graduate who demonstrates an 
9.23 	intermediate-high ACTFL level of functional native proficiency in one language in 
9.24 	addition to English is eligible to receive the state bilingual gold seal. A high school 
9.25 	graduate who demonstrates an intermediate-high ACTFL level of functional native 
9.26 	proficiency in more than one language in addition to English is eligible to receive the 
9.27 	state multilingual gold seal. A high school graduate who demonstrates an advanced-low 
9.28 	ACTFL level of functional proficiency in one language in addition to English is eligible 
9.29 	to receive the state bilingual platinum seal. A high school graduate who demonstrates 
9.30 	an advanced-low ACTFL level of functional proficiency in more than one language in 
9.31 	addition to English is eligible to receive the state multilingual platinum seal.
9.32 	(d) School districts and charter schools, in consultation with regional centers of 
9.33 	excellence under section 120B.115, must may give students periodic opportunities to 
9.34 	demonstrate their level of proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in a 
9.35 	language in addition to English. Where valid and reliable assessments are unavailable, a 
10.1 	school district or charter school may rely on a licensed foreign language immersion teacher 
10.2 	or a nonlicensed community expert under section 122A.25 evaluators trained in assessing 
10.3 	under ACTFL proficiency guidelines to assess a student's level of foreign, heritage, or 
10.4 	indigenous language proficiency under this section. School districts and charter schools 
10.5 	must maintain appropriate records to identify high school graduates eligible to receive the 
10.6 	state bilingual or multilingual seal gold and platinum seals. The school district or charter 
10.7 	school must affix the appropriate seal to the transcript of each high school graduate who 
10.8 	meets the requirements of this subdivision and may affix the seal to the student's diploma. A 
10.9 	school district or charter school must not charge the high school graduate a fee for this seal.
10.10 	(e) A school district or charter school may award elective course credits in world 
10.11 	languages to a student who demonstrates the requisite proficiency in a language other 
10.12 	than English under this section.
10.13 	(f) A school district or charter school may award community service credit to a 
10.14 	student who demonstrates level 3 an intermediate-high or advanced-low ACTFL level of  
10.15 	functional native proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in a language 
10.16 	other than English and who participates in community service activities that are integrated 
10.17 	into the curriculum, involve the participation of teachers, and support biliteracy in the 
10.18 	school or local community.
10.19 	(g) The commissioner must develop a Web page for the electronic delivery of these 
10.20 	seals. The commissioner must list on the Web page those assessments that are equivalent 
10.21 	to the Foreign Services Institute language aligned to ACTFL proficiency tests guidelines.
10.22 	(h) By August 1, 2015, the colleges and universities of the Minnesota State Colleges 
10.23 	and Universities system must award foreign language credits to a student who receives a 
10.24 	state bilingual seal or a state multilingual seal under this subdivision and mayestablish 
10.25 	criteria to translate the seals into college credits based on the World Language course 
10.26 	equivalencies identified by the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities faculty and 
10.27 	staff and, upon request from an enrolled student, the Minnesota State Colleges and 
10.28 	Universities may award foreign language credits to a student who receives a Minnesota 
10.29 	World Language Proficiency Certificate or a Minnesota World Language Proficiency 
10.30 	High Achievement Certificate under subdivision 1a. Students enrolled in a Minnesota 
10.31 	State Colleges and Universities institution must request college credits for their seal or 
10.32 	proficiency certificate within three academic years after graduating from high school. The 
10.33 	University of Minnesota is encouraged to award students foreign language academic 
10.34 	credits consistent with this paragraph.

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

11.1 	Sec. 6. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 120B.024, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
11.2 		Subd. 2.Credit equivalencies. (a) A one-half credit of economics taught in a 
11.3 	school's agriculture education or business department may fulfill a one-half credit in 
11.4 	social studies under subdivision 1, clause (5), if the credit is sufficient to satisfy all of the 
11.5 	academic standards in economics.
11.6 	(b) An agriculture science or career and technical education credit may fulfill the 
11.7 	credit in chemistry or physics or the elective science credit required under subdivision 1, 
11.8 	clause (4), if the credit meets the state chemistry or physics, or district biology physical 
11.9 	science, life science, earth and space science, chemistry, or physics academic standards or 
11.10 	a combination of these academic standards as approved by the district. An agriculture or 
11.11 	career and technical education credit may fulfill the credit in chemistry or physics required 
11.12 	under subdivision 1, clause (4), if the credit meets the state chemistry or physics academic 
11.13 	standards as approved by the district. A student must satisfy either all of the chemistry 
11.14 	academic standards or all of the physics academic standards prior to graduation. An 
11.15 	agriculture science or career and technical education credit may not fulfill the required 
11.16 	biology credit under subdivision 1, clause (4).
11.17 	(c) A career and technical education credit may fulfill a mathematics or arts credit 
11.18 	requirement under subdivision 1, clause (2) or (6).
11.19 	(d) An agriculture education teacher is not required to meet the requirements of 
11.20 	Minnesota Rules, part 3505.1150, subpart 1, item B, to meet the credit equivalency 
11.21 	requirements of paragraph (b) above.
11.22 	(e) A computer science credit may fulfill a mathematics credit requirement under 
11.23 	subdivision 1, clause (2), if the credit meets state academic standards in mathematics.
11.24 	(f) A Project Lead the Way credit may fulfill a science or mathematics credit 
11.25 	requirement under subdivision 1, clause (2) or (4), if the credit meets the state academic 
11.26 	standards in science or mathematics.

11.27 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for the 2015-2016 school year and 
11.28 	later.

11.29 	Sec. 7. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 120B.11, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
11.30 		Subd. 2.Adopting plans and budgets.  A school board, at a public meeting, shall 
11.31 	adopt a comprehensive, long-term strategic plan to support and improve teaching and 
11.32 	learning that is aligned with creating the world's best workforce and includes:
11.33 	(1) clearly defined district and school site goals and benchmarks for instruction and 
11.34 	student achievement for all student subgroups identified in section 120B.35, subdivision 3, 
11.35 	paragraph (b), clause (2);
12.1 	(2) a process for assessing and evaluating each student's progress toward meeting 
12.2 	state and local academic standards and identifying the strengths and weaknesses of 
12.3 	instruction in pursuit of student and school success and curriculum affecting students' 
12.4 	progress and growth toward career and college readiness, including the career and college 
12.5 	readiness composite scores under section 120B.30, subdivision 3, paragraph (c), and 
12.6 	leading to the world's best workforce;
12.7 	(3) a process for determining grade promotion or retention that supports each 
12.8 	student's progress and growth toward career and college readiness;
12.9 	(3) (4) a system to periodically review and evaluate the effectiveness of all 
12.10 	instruction and curriculum, taking into account strategies and best practices, student 
12.11 	outcomes, school principal evaluations under section 123B.147, subdivision 3, and teacher 
12.12 	evaluations under section 122A.40, subdivision 8, or 122A.41, subdivision 5;
12.13 	(4) (5) strategies for improving instruction, curriculum, and student achievement, 
12.14 	including the English and, where practicable, the native language development and the 
12.15 	academic achievement of English learners;
12.16 	(5) (6) education effectiveness practices that integrate high-quality instruction, 
12.17 	rigorous curriculum, technology, and a collaborative professional culture that develops 
12.18 	and supports teacher quality, performance, and effectiveness; and
12.19 	(6) (7) an annual budget for continuing to implement the district plan.

12.20 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for plans adopted on or after July 
12.21 	1, 2015.

12.22 	Sec. 8. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 120B.12, subdivision 4a, is amended to read:
12.23 		Subd. 4a.Local literacy plan. (a) Consistent with this section, a school district 
12.24 	must adopt a local literacy plan to have every child reading at or above grade level no 
12.25 	later than the end of grade 3, including English learners. The plan must be consistent with 
12.26 	section 122A.06, subdivision 4, and include the following:
12.27 	(1) a process to assess students' level of reading proficiency, and data to support the 
12.28 	effectiveness of an assessment used to screen and identify a student's level of reading 
12.29 	proficiency;
12.30 	(2) a process to notify and involve parents, intervene with;
12.31 	(3) a description of how schools in the district will determine the proper reading 
12.32 	intervention strategy for a student and the process for intensifying or modifying the 
12.33 	reading strategy in order to obtain measurable reading progress;
13.1 	(4) evidence-based intervention methods for students who are not reading at or 
13.2 	above grade level, and identify and meet and progress-monitoring to provide information 
13.3 	on the effectiveness of the intervention;
13.4 	(5) identification of staff development needs, including a program to meet those 
13.5 	needs; and
13.6 	(6) a description of how schools in the district will provide explicit and systematic 
13.7 	instruction in basic phonology and language decoding skills. 
13.8 	(b) The district must post its literacy plan on the official school district Web site.

13.9 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for the 2015-2016 school year and 
13.10 	later.

13.11 	Sec. 9. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 120B.125, is amended to read:
13.12 	120B.125 PLANNING FOR STUDENTS' SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION 
13.13 	TO POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT; PERSONAL 
13.14 	LEARNING PLANS.
13.15 	(a) Consistent with sections 120B.128,120B.13, 120B.131, 120B.132, 120B.14, 
13.16 	120B.15, 120B.30, subdivision 1, paragraph (c), 125A.08, and other related sections, 
13.17 	school districts, beginning in the 2013-2014 school year, must assist all students by no 
13.18 	later than grade 9 to explore their educational, college, and career interests, aptitudes, and 
13.19 	aspirations and develop a plan for a smooth and successful transition to postsecondary 
13.20 	education or employment. All students' plans must:
13.21 	(1) provide a comprehensive plan to prepare for and complete a career and college 
13.22 	ready curriculum by meeting state and local academic standards and developing career and 
13.23 	employment-related skills such as team work, collaboration, creativity, communication, 
13.24 	critical thinking, and good work habits;
13.25 	(2) emphasize academic rigor and high expectations;
13.26 	(3) help students identify interests, aptitudes, aspirations, and personal learning 
13.27 	styles that may affect their career and college ready goals and postsecondary education 
13.28 	and employment choices;
13.29 	(4) set appropriate career and college ready goals with timelines that identify 
13.30 	effective means for achieving those goals;
13.31 	(5) help students access education and career options;
13.32 	(6) integrate strong academic content into career-focused courses and applied and 
13.33 	experiential learning opportunities and integrate relevant career-focused courses and 
13.34 	applied and experiential learning opportunities into strong academic content;
14.1 	(7) help identify and access appropriate counseling and other supports and assistance 
14.2 	that enable students to complete required coursework, prepare for postsecondary education 
14.3 	and careers, and obtain information about postsecondary education costs and eligibility 
14.4 	for financial aid and scholarship;
14.5 	(8) help identify collaborative partnerships among prekindergarten through grade 
14.6 	12 schools, postsecondary institutions, economic development agencies, and local and 
14.7 	regional employers that support students' transition to postsecondary education and 
14.8 	employment and provide students with applied and experiential learning opportunities; and
14.9 	(9) be reviewed and revised at least annually by the student, the student's parent or 
14.10 	guardian, and the school or district to ensure that the student's course-taking schedule keeps 
14.11 	the student making adequate progress to meet state and local academic standards and high 
14.12 	school graduation requirements and with a reasonable chance to succeed with employment 
14.13 	or postsecondary education without the need to first complete remedial course work.
14.14 	(b) A school district may develop grade-level curricula or provide instruction that 
14.15 	introduces students to various careers, but must not require any curriculum, instruction, 
14.16 	or employment-related activity that obligates an elementary or secondary student to 
14.17 	involuntarily select or pursue a career, career interest, employment goals, or related job 
14.18 	training.
14.19 	(c) Educators must possess the knowledge and skills to effectively teach all English 
14.20 	learners in their classrooms. School districts must provide appropriate curriculum, 
14.21 	targeted materials, professional development opportunities for educators, and sufficient 
14.22 	resources to enable English learners to become career and college ready.
14.23 	(d) When assisting students in developing a plan for a smooth and successful 
14.24 	transition to postsecondary education and employment, districts must recognize the unique 
14.25 	possibilities of each student and ensure that the contents of each student's plan reflect the 
14.26 	student's unique talents, skills, and abilities as the student grows, develops, and learns.

14.27 	Sec. 10. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 120B.30, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
14.28 		Subdivision 1.Statewide testing.  (a) The commissioner, with advice from experts 
14.29 	with appropriate technical qualifications and experience and stakeholders, consistent with 
14.30 	subdivision 1a, shall include in the comprehensive assessment system, for each grade 
14.31 	level to be tested, state-constructed tests developed as computer-adaptive reading and 
14.32 	mathematics assessments for students that are aligned with the state's required academic 
14.33 	standards under section 120B.021, include multiple choice questions, and are administered 
14.34 	annually to all students:
14.35 	(1) in mathematics grades 3 through 7. 8 and 11;
15.1 	(2) in reading, grades 3 through 8, and 10; and
15.2 	(3) in science, grades 5, 8, and once in high school. The high school test shall 
15.3 	assess the life science standards.
15.4 	Assessments under this section must comply with the requirements under the federal 
15.5 	No Child Left Behind flexibility waiver.
15.6 	(b) Reading and mathematics assessments for all students in grade 8 must be aligned 
15.7 	with the state's required reading and mathematics standards, be administered annually, 
15.8 	and include multiple choice questions. State-developed high school tests aligned with the 
15.9 	state's required academic standards under section 120B.021 and administered to all high 
15.10 	school students in a subject other than writing must include multiple choice questions. The 
15.11 	commissioner shall establish one or more months during which schools shall administer 
15.12 	the tests to students each school year. The commissioner shall determine the testing 
15.13 	process and order of administration.
15.14 	(c) The state assessment system must be aligned to the most recent version of 
15.15 	academic standards as described in section 120B.023 three school years from the effective 
15.16 	date of the academic standards rule. The commissioner must not develop statewide 
15.17 	assessments for academic standards in social studies, health and physical education, and 
15.18 	the arts.
15.19 	(d) For purposes of conforming with existing federal educational accountability 
15.20 	requirements, the commissioner must develop and implement computer-adaptive reading 
15.21 	and mathematics assessments for grades 3 through 8 and high school reading and 
15.22 	mathematics tests aligned with state academic standards, and science assessments under 
15.23 	paragraph (a), clause (2), that districts and sites must use to monitor student growth toward 
15.24 	achieving those standards. The commissioner must provide a school district with paper 
15.25 	statewide assessments to administer to its students, if requested by the school district.
15.26 	(e) The commissioner must ensure that for annual computer-adaptive assessments:
15.27 	(1) individual student performance data and achievement reports are available 
15.28 	within three school days of when students take an assessment except in a year when an 
15.29 	assessment reflects new performance standards;
15.30 	(2) growth information is available for each student from the student's first 
15.31 	assessment to each proximate assessment using a constant measurement scale;
15.32 	(3) parents, teachers, and school administrators are able to use elementary and 
15.33 	middle school student performance data to project students' secondary and postsecondary 
15.34 	achievement; and
15.35 	(4) useful diagnostic information about areas of students' academic strengths and 
15.36 	weaknesses is available to teachers and school administrators for improving student 
16.1 	instruction and indicating the specific skills and concepts that should be introduced and 
16.2 	developed for students at given performance levels, organized by strands within subject 
16.3 	areas, and aligned to state academic standards.
16.4 		Subd. 1c.Assessment graduation requirements. (1) (a) Students enrolled in 
16.5 	grade 8 through the 2009-2010 school year are eligible to be assessed under (i) (1) the 
16.6 	graduation-required assessment for diploma in reading, mathematics, or writing under 
16.7 	Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 120B.30, subdivision 1, paragraphs (c), clauses (1) and 
16.8 	(2), and (d), (ii) (2) the WorkKeys job skills assessment, (iii) (3) the Compass college 
16.9 	placement test, (iv) (4) the ACT assessment for college admission, or (v) (5) a nationally 
16.10 	recognized armed services vocational aptitude test.
16.11 	(2) (b) Students enrolled in grade 8 in the 2010-2011 or 2011-2012 school year 
16.12 	are eligible to be assessed under (i) (1) the graduation-required assessment for diploma 
16.13 	in reading, mathematics, or writing under Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 120B.30, 
16.14 	subdivision 1, paragraph (c), clauses (1) and (2), (ii) (2) the WorkKeys job skills 
16.15 	assessment, (iii) (3) the Compass college placement test, (iv) (4) the ACT assessment for 
16.16 	college admission, or (v) (5) a nationally recognized armed services vocational aptitude test.
16.17 	(3) (c) For students under clause (1) or (2) paragraph (a) or (b), a school district may 
16.18 	substitute a score from an alternative, equivalent assessment to satisfy the requirements of 
16.19 	this paragraph.
16.20 	(b) The state assessment system must be aligned to the most recent revision of 
16.21 	academic standards as described in section 120B.023 in the following manner:
16.22 	(1) mathematics;
16.23 	(i) grades 3 through 8 beginning in the 2010-2011 school year; and
16.24 	(ii) high school level beginning in the 2013-2014 school year;
16.25 	(2) science; grades 5 and 8 and at the high school level beginning in the 2011-2012 
16.26 	school year; and
16.27 	(3) language arts and reading; grades 3 through 8 and high school level beginning in 
16.28 	the 2012-2013 school year.
16.29 	(c) (d) For students enrolled in grade 8 in the 2012-2013 school year and later, 
16.30 	students' state graduation requirements, based on a longitudinal, systematic approach to 
16.31 	student education and career planning, assessment, instructional support, and evaluation, 
16.32 	include the following:
16.33 	(1) demonstrate understanding of required academic standards participation on a 
16.34 	nationally normed college entrance exam, in grade 11;
16.35 	(2) achievement and career and college readiness tests in mathematics, reading, and 
16.36 	writing, consistent with paragraph (e) and to the extent available, to monitor students' 
17.1 	continuous development of and growth in requisite knowledge and skills; analyze 
17.2 	students' progress and performance levels, identifying students' academic strengths and 
17.3 	diagnosing areas where students require curriculum or instructional adjustments, targeted 
17.4 	interventions, or remediation; and, based on analysis of students' progress and performance 
17.5 	data, determine students' learning and instructional needs and the instructional tools and 
17.6 	best practices that support academic rigor for the student; and
17.7 	(3) (2) consistent with this paragraph and section 120B.125, age-appropriate 
17.8 	exploration and planning activities and career assessments to encourage students to identify 
17.9 	personally relevant career interests and aptitudes and help students and their families 
17.10 	develop a regularly reexamined transition plan for postsecondary education or employment 
17.11 	without need for postsecondary remediation. Districts and schools, on an annual basis, 
17.12 	must use the career exploration elements to help students, beginning no later than grade 9, 
17.13 	and their families explore and plan for postsecondary education or careers based on the 
17.14 	students' interests, aptitudes, and aspirations. Districts and schools must use timely regional 
17.15 	labor market information and partnerships, among other resources, to help students and 
17.16 	their families successfully develop, pursue, review, and revise an individualized plan for 
17.17 	postsecondary education or a career. This process must help increase students' engagement 
17.18 	in and connection to school, improve students' knowledge and skills, and deepen students' 
17.19 	understanding of career pathways as a sequence of academic and career courses that lead 
17.20 	to an industry-recognized credential, an associate's degree, or a bachelor's degree and are 
17.21 	available to all students, whatever their interests and career goals.
17.22 	(e) Based on appropriate state guidelines, students with an individualized education 
17.23 	program may satisfy state graduation requirements by achieving an individual score on 
17.24 	the state-identified alternative assessments.
17.25 	Expectations of schools, districts, and the state for career or college readiness under this 
17.26 	subdivision must be comparable in rigor, clarity of purpose, and rates of student completion.
17.27 	(f) A high school student under clause (2) not yet ready for career and college must 
17.28 	receive targeted, relevant, academically rigorous, and resourced instruction, which may 
17.29 	include a targeted instruction and intervention plan focused on improving the student's 
17.30 	knowledge and skills in core subjects so that the student has a reasonable chance to succeed 
17.31 	in a career or college without need for postsecondary remediation. Consistent with sections 
17.32 	120B.13, 124D.09, 124D.091, 124D.49, and related sections, an enrolling school or district 
17.33 	must actively encourage a student in grade 11 or 12 who is identified as academically 
17.34 	ready for a career or college to participate in courses and programs awarding college credit 
17.35 	to high school students. Students are not required to achieve a specified score or level of 
17.36 	proficiency on an assessment under this subdivision to graduate from high school.
18.1 	(d) (g) To improve the secondary and postsecondary outcomes of all students, the 
18.2 	alignment between secondary and postsecondary education programs and Minnesota's 
18.3 	workforce needs, and the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of secondary and postsecondary 
18.4 	programs, the commissioner, after consulting with the chancellor of the Minnesota State 
18.5 	Colleges and Universities and using a request for proposal process, shall contract for 
18.6 	a series of assessments that are consistent with this subdivision, aligned with state 
18.7 	academic standards, and include career and college readiness benchmarks. Mathematics, 
18.8 	reading, and writing assessments for students in grades 8 and 10 must be predictive of a 
18.9 	nationally normed assessment for career and college readiness. This nationally recognized 
18.10 	assessment must be a college entrance exam and given to students in grade 11. This 
18.11 	series of assessments must include a college placement diagnostic exam and contain 
18.12 	career exploration elements. The commissioner and the chancellor of the Minnesota 
18.13 	State Colleges and Universities must collaborate in aligning instruction and assessments 
18.14 	for adult basic education students and English learners to provide the students with 
18.15 	diagnostic information about any targeted interventions, accommodations, modifications, 
18.16 	and supports they need so that assessments and other performance measures are accessible 
18.17 	to them and they may seek postsecondary education or employment without need for 
18.18 	postsecondary remediation. When administering formative or summative assessments 
18.19 	used to measure the academic progress, including the oral academic development, of 
18.20 	English learners and inform their instruction, schools must ensure that the assessments are 
18.21 	accessible to the students and students have the modifications and supports they need to 
18.22 	sufficiently understand the assessments.
18.23 	(l) Districts and schools, on an annual basis, must use the career exploration 
18.24 	elements in these assessments to help students, beginning no later than grade 9, and their 
18.25 	families explore and plan for postsecondary education or careers based on the students' 
18.26 	interests, aptitudes, and aspirations. Districts and schools must use timely regional labor 
18.27 	market information and partnerships, among other resources, to help students and their 
18.28 	families successfully develop, pursue, review, and revise an individualized plan for 
18.29 	postsecondary education or a career. This process must help increase students' engagement 
18.30 	in and connection to school, improve students' knowledge and skills, and deepen students' 
18.31 	understanding of career pathways as a sequence of academic and career courses that lead 
18.32 	to an industry-recognized credential, an associate's degree, or a bachelor's degree and are 
18.33 	available to all students, whatever their interests and career goals.
18.34 	(2) Students in grade 10 or 11 not yet academically ready for a career or college based 
18.35 	on their growth in academic achievement between grades 8 and 10 must take the college 
18.36 	placement diagnostic exam before taking the college entrance exam under clause (3). 
19.1 	Students, their families, the school, and the district can then use the results of the college 
19.2 	placement diagnostic exam for targeted instruction, intervention, or remediation and 
19.3 	improve students' knowledge and skills in core subjects sufficient for a student to graduate 
19.4 	and have a reasonable chance to succeed in a career or college without remediation.
19.5 	(3) All students except those eligible for alternative assessments must be given the 
19.6 	college entrance part of these assessments in grade 11. A student under this clause who 
19.7 	demonstrates attainment of required state academic standards, which include career and 
19.8 	college readiness benchmarks, on these assessments is academically ready for a career or 
19.9 	college and is encouraged to participate in courses awarding college credit to high school 
19.10 	students. Such courses and programs may include sequential courses of study within 
19.11 	broad career areas and technical skill assessments that extend beyond course grades.
19.12 	(4) (h) As appropriate, students through grade 12 must continue to participate in 
19.13 	targeted instruction, intervention, or remediation and be encouraged to participate in 
19.14 	courses awarding college credit to high school students.
19.15 	(5) A study to determine the alignment between these assessments and state 
19.16 	academic standards under this chapter must be conducted. Where alignment exists, the 
19.17 	commissioner must seek federal approval to, and immediately upon receiving approval, 
19.18 	replace the federally required assessments referenced under subdivision 1a and section 
19.19 	120B.35, subdivision 2, with assessments under this paragraph.
19.20 	(e) In developing, supporting, and improving students' academic readiness for a 
19.21 	career or college, schools, districts, and the state must have a continuum of empirically 
19.22 	derived, clearly defined benchmarks focused on students' attainment of knowledge and 
19.23 	skills so that students, their parents, and teachers know how well students must perform to 
19.24 	have a reasonable chance to succeed in a career or college without need for postsecondary 
19.25 	remediation. The commissioner, in consultation with local school officials and educators, 
19.26 	and Minnesota's public postsecondary institutions must ensure that the foundational 
19.27 	knowledge and skills for students' successful performance in postsecondary employment 
19.28 	or education and an articulated series of possible targeted interventions are clearly 
19.29 	identified and satisfy Minnesota's postsecondary admissions requirements.
19.30 	(f) (i) For students in grade 8 in the 2012-2013 school year and later, a school, 
19.31 	district, or charter school must record on the high school transcript a student's progress 
19.32 	toward career and college readiness, and for other students as soon as practicable.
19.33 	(g) (j) The school board granting students their diplomas may formally decide to 
19.34 	include a notation of high achievement on the high school diplomas of those graduating 
19.35 	seniors who, according to established school board criteria, demonstrate exemplary 
19.36 	academic achievement during high school.
20.1 	(h) The 3rd through 7th grade computer-adaptive assessment results and grade 8 
20.2 	and high school test results shall be available to districts for diagnostic purposes affecting 
20.3 	student learning and district instruction and curriculum, and for establishing educational 
20.4 	accountability. The commissioner must establish empirically derived benchmarks on 
20.5 	adaptive assessments in grades 3 through 7 that reveal a trajectory toward career and 
20.6 	college readiness. The commissioner must disseminate to the public the computer-adaptive 
20.7 	assessments, grade 8, and high school test results upon receiving those results.
20.8 	(i) The grades 3 through 7 computer-adaptive assessments and grade 8 and high 
20.9 	school tests must be aligned with state academic standards. The commissioner shall 
20.10 	determine the testing process and the order of administration. The statewide results shall 
20.11 	be aggregated at the site and district level, consistent with subdivision 1a.
20.12 	(j) The commissioner shall include the following components in the statewide 
20.13 	public reporting system:
20.14 	(1) uniform statewide computer-adaptive assessments of all students in grades 3 
20.15 	through 7 and testing at the grade 8 and high school levels that provides appropriate, 
20.16 	technically sound accommodations or alternate assessments;
20.17 	(2) educational indicators that can be aggregated and compared across school 
20.18 	districts and across time on a statewide basis, including average daily attendance, high 
20.19 	school graduation rates, and high school drop-out rates by age and grade level;
20.20 	(3) state results on the American College Test; and
20.21 	(4) state results from participation in the National Assessment of Educational 
20.22 	Progress so that the state can benchmark its performance against the nation and other 
20.23 	states, and, where possible, against other countries, and contribute to the national effort 
20.24 	to monitor achievement.
20.25 	(k) For purposes of statewide accountability, "career and college ready" means a 
20.26 	high school graduate has the knowledge, skills, and competencies to successfully pursue a 
20.27 	career pathway, including postsecondary credit leading to a degree, diploma, certificate, or 
20.28 	industry-recognized credential and employment. Students who are career and college ready 
20.29 	are able to successfully complete credit-bearing coursework at a two- or four-year college 
20.30 	or university or other credit-bearing postsecondary program without need for remediation.
20.31 	(l) For purposes of statewide accountability, "cultural competence," "cultural 
20.32 	competency," or "culturally competent" means the ability and will to interact effectively 
20.33 	with people of different cultures, native languages, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
20.34 	(l) Students are not required to achieve a specific score or level of proficiency on an 
20.35 	assessment under this subdivision to graduate from high school.

21.1 	Sec. 11. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 120B.30, subdivision 1a, is amended to read:
21.2 		Subd. 1a.Statewide and local assessments; results. (a) For purposes of this 
21.3 	section, the following definitions have the meanings given them.
21.4 	(1) "Computer-adaptive assessments" means fully adaptive assessments.
21.5 	(2) "Fully adaptive assessments" include test items that are on-grade level and items 
21.6 	that may be above or below a student's grade level.
21.7 	(3) "On-grade level" test items contain subject area content that is aligned to state 
21.8 	academic standards for the grade level of the student taking the assessment.
21.9 	(4) "Above-grade level" test items contain subject area content that is above the 
21.10 	grade level of the student taking the assessment and is considered aligned with state 
21.11 	academic standards to the extent it is aligned with content represented in state academic 
21.12 	standards above the grade level of the student taking the assessment. Notwithstanding 
21.13 	the student's grade level, administering above-grade level test items to a student does not 
21.14 	violate the requirement that state assessments must be aligned with state standards.
21.15 	(5) "Below-grade level" test items contain subject area content that is below the 
21.16 	grade level of the student taking the test and is considered aligned with state academic 
21.17 	standards to the extent it is aligned with content represented in state academic standards 
21.18 	below the student's current grade level. Notwithstanding the student's grade level, 
21.19 	administering below-grade level test items to a student does not violate the requirement 
21.20 	that state assessments must be aligned with state standards.
21.21 	(6) For purposes of statewide accountability, "cultural competence," "cultural 
21.22 	competency," or "culturally competent" means the ability and will to interact effectively 
21.23 	with people of diverse cultures, native languages, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
21.24 	(b) The commissioner must use fully adaptive mathematics and reading assessments 
21.25 	for grades 3 through 7 beginning in the 2015-2016 school year and later.
21.26 	(c) For purposes of conforming with existing federal educational accountability 
21.27 	requirements, the commissioner must develop and implement computer-adaptive reading 
21.28 	and mathematics assessments for grades 3 through 7, state-developed grade 8 and high 
21.29 	school reading and mathematics tests aligned with state academic standards, and science 
21.30 	assessments under clause (2) that districts and sites must use to monitor student growth 
21.31 	toward achieving those standards. The commissioner must not develop statewide 
21.32 	assessments for academic standards in social studies, health and physical education, and 
21.33 	the arts. The commissioner must require:
21.34 	(1) annual computer-adaptive reading and mathematics assessments in grades 3 
21.35 	through 7, and grade 8 and high school reading and mathematics tests; and
22.1 	(2) annual science assessments in one grade in the grades 3 through 5 span, the 
22.2 	grades 6 through 8 span, and a life sciences assessment in the grades 9 through 12 span, 
22.3 	and the commissioner must not require students to achieve a passing score on high school 
22.4 	science assessments as a condition of receiving a high school diploma.
22.5 	(d) The commissioner must ensure that for annual computer-adaptive assessments:
22.6 	(1) individual student performance data and achievement reports are available 
22.7 	within three school days of when students take an assessment except in a year when an 
22.8 	assessment reflects new performance standards;
22.9 	(2) growth information is available for each student from the student's first 
22.10 	assessment to each proximate assessment using a constant measurement scale;
22.11 	(3) parents, teachers, and school administrators are able to use elementary and 
22.12 	middle school student performance data to project students' secondary and postsecondary 
22.13 	achievement; and
22.14 	(4) useful diagnostic information about areas of students' academic strengths and 
22.15 	weaknesses is available to teachers and school administrators for improving student 
22.16 	instruction and indicating the specific skills and concepts that should be introduced and 
22.17 	developed for students at given performance levels, organized by strands within subject 
22.18 	areas, and aligned to state academic standards.
22.19 	(e) (b) The commissioner must ensure that all state tests administered to elementary 
22.20 	and secondary students measure students' academic knowledge and skills and not students' 
22.21 	values, attitudes, and beliefs.
22.22 	(f) Reporting of state assessment results must:
22.23 	(1) provide timely, useful, and understandable information on the performance of 
22.24 	individual students, schools, school districts, and the state;
22.25 	(2) include a growth indicator of student achievement; and
22.26 	(3) determine whether students have met the state's academic standards.
22.27 	(g) (c) Consistent with applicable federal law, the commissioner must include 
22.28 	appropriate, technically sound accommodations or alternative assessments for the very 
22.29 	few students with disabilities for whom statewide assessments are inappropriate and 
22.30 	for English learners.
22.31 	(h) A school, school district, and charter school must administer statewide 
22.32 	assessments under this section, as the assessments become available, to evaluate student 
22.33 	progress toward career and college readiness in the context of the state's academic 
22.34 	standards. A school, school district, or charter school may use a student's performance 
22.35 	on a statewide assessment as one of multiple criteria to determine grade promotion or 
22.36 	retention. A school, school district, or charter school may use a high school student's 
23.1 	performance on a statewide assessment as a percentage of the student's final grade in a 
23.2 	course, or place a student's assessment score on the student's transcript.

23.3 	Sec. 12. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 120B.30, is amended by adding a 
23.4 	subdivision to read:
23.5 		Subd. 1b.Special and extenuating circumstances. The Department of Education 
23.6 	shall develop a list of circumstances in which a student may be unable to test. The list 
23.7 	shall include but not be limited to: students transferring to Minnesota from another state, 
23.8 	students transferring from nonpublic to public school, students hospitalized, and parental 
23.9 	opting out of the student's testing. Students unable to participate in statewide assessment 
23.10 	due to a circumstance on the list authorized under this subdivision shall not be penalized 
23.11 	for missing the opportunity to take a test.

23.12 	Sec. 13. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 120B.30, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
23.13 		Subd. 3.Reporting. (a) The commissioner shall report test results publicly and 
23.14 	to stakeholders, including the performance achievement levels developed from students' 
23.15 	unweighted test scores in each tested subject and a listing of demographic factors that 
23.16 	strongly correlate with student performance. The test results must not include personally 
23.17 	identifiable information as defined in Code of Federal Regulations, title 34, section 99.3. 
23.18 	The commissioner shall also report data that compares performance results among school 
23.19 	sites, school districts, Minnesota and other states, and Minnesota and other nations. The 
23.20 	commissioner shall disseminate to schools and school districts a more comprehensive 
23.21 	report containing testing information that meets local needs for evaluating instruction and 
23.22 	curriculum. The commissioner shall disseminate to charter school authorizers a more 
23.23 	comprehensive report containing testing information that contains anonymized data where 
23.24 	cell count data are sufficient to protect student identity and that meets the authorizer's 
23.25 	needs in fulfilling its obligations under section 124D.10.
23.26 	(b) Reporting of state assessment results must:
23.27 	(1) provide timely, useful, and understandable information on the performance of 
23.28 	individual students, schools, school districts, and the state;
23.29 	(2) include a growth indicator of student achievement; and
23.30 	(3) determine whether students have met the state's academic standards.
23.31 	(c) The grade 3 through 7 computer-adaptive assessment results and grade 8 and 
23.32 	high school test results shall be available to districts for diagnostic purposes affecting 
23.33 	student learning and district instruction and curriculum, and for establishing educational 
23.34 	accountability. The commissioner must establish empirically derived benchmarks on 
24.1 	adaptive assessments in grades 3 through 7 that reveal a trajectory toward career and 
24.2 	college readiness. The commissioner shall establish composite career and college-ready 
24.3 	scores in grades 5, 8, and high school. The composite scores shall predict performance on 
24.4 	a college entrance exam. The commissioner must disseminate to the public test results 
24.5 	upon receiving those results.
24.6 	(d) The commissioner shall include the following components in the statewide 
24.7 	public reporting system:
24.8 	(1) uniform statewide computer-adaptive assessments of all students in grades 
24.9 	3 through 8 and high school levels that provide appropriate, technically sound 
24.10 	accommodations or alternate assessments;
24.11 	(2) educational indicators that can be aggregated and compared across school 
24.12 	districts and across time on a statewide basis, including average daily attendance, high 
24.13 	school graduation rates, and high school drop-out rates by age and grade level;
24.14 	(3) state results on the ACT; and
24.15 	(4) state results from participation in the National Assessment of Educational 
24.16 	Progress so that the state can benchmark its performance against the nation and other 
24.17 	states, and, where possible, against other countries, and contribute to the national effort 
24.18 	to monitor achievement.

24.19 	Sec. 14. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 120B.30, is amended by adding a 
24.20 	subdivision to read:
24.21 		Subd. 3a.Administration and usage. A school, school district, and charter school 
24.22 	must administer statewide assessments under this section, as the assessments become 
24.23 	available, to evaluate student progress toward career and college readiness in the context 
24.24 	of the state's academic standards. A school, school district, or charter school may use a 
24.25 	student's performance on a statewide assessment as one of multiple criteria to determine 
24.26 	grade promotion or retention. A school, school district, or charter school may use a high 
24.27 	school student's performance on a statewide assessment as a percentage of the student's 
24.28 	final grade in a course, or place a student's assessment score on the student's transcript.

24.29 	Sec. 15. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 120B.30, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
24.30 		Subd. 4.Access to tests. Consistent with section 13.34, the commissioner must 
24.31 	adopt and publish a policy to provide public and parental access for review of basic 
24.32 	skills tests, Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments, or any other such statewide test 
24.33 	and assessment developed assessments which would not compromise the objectivity or 
24.34 	fairness of the testing or examination process. Upon receiving a written request, the 
25.1 	commissioner must make available to parents or guardians a copy of their student's actual 
25.2 	responses to the test questions for their review.

25.3 	Sec. 16. [120B.301] LIMIT ON STANDARDIZED TESTING.
25.4 	For students in grades 1 through 6, the total amount of time spent on standardized 
25.5 	assessments, either locally adopted or statewide, must not exceed 19 hours during a school 
25.6 	year. For students in grades 7 through 12, the total amount of time spent on standardized 
25.7 	assessments, either locally adopted or statewide, must not exceed 20 hours during a school 
25.8 	year. For the purposes of this section, international baccalaureate and advanced placement 
25.9 	exams are not considered standardized assessments. A district may be exempt from this 
25.10 	requirement if the district, in consultation with the exclusive representative of the teachers, 
25.11 	includes the reasons for exceeding the requirement in the report required under section 
25.12 	120B.11, subdivision 5.

25.13 	Sec. 17. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 120B.31, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
25.14 		Subd. 2.Statewide testing. Each school year, all school districts shall give a 
25.15 	uniform statewide test to students at specified grades to provide information on the status, 
25.16 	needs and performance of Minnesota students, consistent with section 120B.30.

25.17 	Sec. 18. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 122A.09, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
25.18 		Subd. 4.License and rules. (a) The board must adopt rules to license public school 
25.19 	teachers and interns subject to chapter 14.
25.20 	(b) The board must adopt rules requiring a personrequire all candidates for teacher 
25.21 	licensure to passdemonstrate a passing score on a board-adopted skills examination 
25.22 	in reading, writing, and mathematics or attain either a composite score composed of 
25.23 	the average of the scores in English and writing, reading, and mathematics on the ACT 
25.24 	Plus Writing recommended by the board, or an equivalent composite score composed 
25.25 	of the average of the scores in critical reading, mathematics, and writing on the SAT 
25.26 	recommended by the board, as a requirement for initial teacher licensure, except that the 
25.27 	board may issue up to twofour temporary, one-year teaching licenses to an otherwise 
25.28 	qualified candidate who has not yet passed the board-adopted skills exam or attained the 
25.29 	requisite composite score on the ACT Plus Writing or SAT. Such rulesThe board must 
25.30 	require college and universities offering a board-approved teacher preparation program 
25.31 	to provide remedial assistance to persons who did not achieve a qualifying score on the 
25.32 	board-adopted skills examination or attain the requisite composite score on the ACT Plus 
25.33 	Writing or SAT, including those for whom English is a second language. The requirement 
26.1 	to pass a board-adopted reading, writing, and mathematics skills examination or attain the 
26.2 	requisite composite score on the ACT Plus Writing or SAT does not apply to nonnative 
26.3 	English speakers, as verified by qualified Minnesota school district personnel or Minnesota 
26.4 	higher education faculty, who, after meeting the content and pedagogy requirements 
26.5 	under this subdivision, apply for a teaching license to provide direct instruction in their 
26.6 	native language or world language instruction under section 120B.022, subdivision 1. A 
26.7 	teacher candidate's official ACT Plus Writing or SAT composite score report to the board 
26.8 	must not be more than ten years old at the time of licensure The Board of Teaching and 
26.9 	the entity administering the content, pedagogy, and skills examinations must allow any 
26.10 	individual who produces documentation of a disability in the form of an evaluation, 504 
26.11 	plan, or individual education program (IEP) to receive the same testing accommodations 
26.12 	on the content, pedagogy, and skills examinations that the applicant received during their 
26.13 	secondary or postsecondary education.
26.14 	(c) The board must adopt rules to approve teacher preparation programs. The board, 
26.15 	upon the request of a postsecondary student preparing for teacher licensure or a licensed 
26.16 	graduate of a teacher preparation program, shall assist in resolving a dispute between the 
26.17 	person and a postsecondary institution providing a teacher preparation program when the 
26.18 	dispute involves an institution's recommendation for licensure affecting the person or the 
26.19 	person's credentials. At the board's discretion, assistance may include the application 
26.20 	of chapter 14.
26.21 	(d) The board must provide the leadership and adopt rules for the redesign of teacher 
26.22 	education programs to implement a research based, results-oriented curriculum that 
26.23 	focuses on the skills teachers need in order to be effective. The board shall implement new 
26.24 	systems of teacher preparation program evaluation to assure program effectiveness based 
26.25 	on proficiency of graduates in demonstrating attainment of program outcomes. Teacher 
26.26 	preparation programs including alternative teacher preparation programs under section 
26.27 	122A.245, among other programs, must include a content-specific, board-approved, 
26.28 	performance-based assessment that measures teacher candidates in three areas: planning 
26.29 	for instruction and assessment; engaging students and supporting learning; and assessing 
26.30 	student learning. The board's redesign rules must include creating flexible, specialized 
26.31 	teaching licenses, credentials, and other endorsement forms to increase students' 
26.32 	participation in language immersion programs, world language instruction, career 
26.33 	development opportunities, work-based learning, early college courses and careers, career 
26.34 	and technical programs, Montessori schools, and project and place-based learning, among 
26.35 	other career and college ready learning offerings.
27.1 	(e) The board must adopt rules requiring candidates for initial licenses to pass an 
27.2 	examination of general pedagogical knowledge and examinations of licensure-specific 
27.3 	teaching skills. The rules shall be effective by September 1, 2001. The rules under this 
27.4 	paragraph also must require candidates for initial licenses to teach prekindergarten or 
27.5 	elementary students to pass, as part of the examination of licensure-specific teaching 
27.6 	skills, test items assessing the candidates' knowledge, skill, and ability in comprehensive, 
27.7 	scientifically based reading instruction under section 122A.06, subdivision 4, and their 
27.8 	knowledge and understanding of the foundations of reading development, the development 
27.9 	of reading comprehension, and reading assessment and instruction, and their ability to 
27.10 	integrate that knowledge and understanding.
27.11 	(f) The board must adopt rules requiring teacher educators to work directly with 
27.12 	elementary or secondary school teachers in elementary or secondary schools to obtain 
27.13 	periodic exposure to the elementary or secondary teaching environment.
27.14 	(g) The board must grant licenses to interns and to candidates for initial licenses 
27.15 	based on appropriate professional competencies that are aligned with the board's licensing 
27.16 	system and students' diverse learning needs. All teacher candidates must have preparation 
27.17 	in English language development and content instruction for English learners in order to be 
27.18 	able to effectively instruct the English learners in their classrooms. The board must include 
27.19 	these licenses in a statewide differentiated licensing system that creates new leadership 
27.20 	roles for successful experienced teachers premised on a collaborative professional culture 
27.21 	dedicated to meeting students' diverse learning needs in the 21st century, recognizes the 
27.22 	importance of cultural and linguistic competencies, including the ability to teach and 
27.23 	communicate in culturally competent and aware ways, and formalizes mentoring and 
27.24 	induction for newly licensed teachers provided through a teacher support framework.
27.25 	(h) The board must design and implement an assessment system which requires a 
27.26 	candidate for an initial license and first continuing license to demonstrate the abilities 
27.27 	necessary to perform selected, representative teaching tasks at appropriate levels.
27.28 	(i) The board must receive recommendations from local committees as established 
27.29 	by the board for the renewal of teaching licenses. The board must require licensed teachers 
27.30 	who are renewing a continuing license to include in the renewal requirements further 
27.31 	preparation in English language development and specially designed content instruction 
27.32 	in English for English learners.
27.33 	(j) The board must grant life licenses to those who qualify according to requirements 
27.34 	established by the board, and suspend or revoke licenses pursuant to sections 122A.20 and 
27.35 	214.10. The board must not establish any expiration date for application for life licenses.
28.1 	(k) The board must adopt rules that require all licensed teachers who are renewing 
28.2 	their continuing license to include in their renewal requirements further preparation in 
28.3 	the areas of using positive behavior interventions and in accommodating, modifying, and 
28.4 	adapting curricula, materials, and strategies to appropriately meet the needs of individual 
28.5 	students and ensure adequate progress toward the state's graduation rule.
28.6 	(l) In adopting rules to license public school teachers who provide health-related 
28.7 	services for disabled children, the board shall adopt rules consistent with license or 
28.8 	registration requirements of the commissioner of health and the health-related boards who 
28.9 	license personnel who perform similar services outside of the school.
28.10 	(m) The board must adopt rules that require all licensed teachers who are renewing 
28.11 	their continuing license to include in their renewal requirements further reading 
28.12 	preparation, consistent with section 122A.06, subdivision 4. The rules do not take effect 
28.13 	until they are approved by law. Teachers who do not provide direct instruction including, at 
28.14 	least, counselors, school psychologists, school nurses, school social workers, audiovisual 
28.15 	directors and coordinators, and recreation personnel are exempt from this section.
28.16 	(n) The board must adopt rules that require all licensed teachers who are renewing 
28.17 	their continuing license to include in their renewal requirements further preparation, 
28.18 	first, in understanding the key warning signs of early-onset mental illness in children 
28.19 	and adolescents and then, during subsequent licensure renewal periods, preparation may 
28.20 	include providing a more in-depth understanding of students' mental illness trauma, 
28.21 	accommodations for students' mental illness, parents' role in addressing students' mental 
28.22 	illness, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, autism, the requirements of section 125A.0942 
28.23 	governing restrictive procedures, and de-escalation methods, among other similar topics.
28.24 	(o) To license applicants under sections 122A.23 and 122A.245, the board must 
28.25 	consider: a teaching license from another state in a similar content field; completion of a 
28.26 	state-approved teacher preparation program; teaching experience as the teacher of record 
28.27 	in a similar licensure field; depth of content knowledge; depth of content methods or 
28.28 	general pedagogy; subject-specific professional development and contribution to the field; 
28.29 	and classroom performance as measured by student growth on normed assessments or 
28.30 	documented effectiveness on evaluations. The board must require an applicant that does 
28.31 	not have student teaching experience or specific methods coursework to have a minimum 
28.32 	of two years of teaching experience in a same or similar licensure field.

28.33 	Sec. 19. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 122A.14, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
28.34 		Subd. 3.Rules for continuing education requirements. The board shall 
28.35 	adopt rules establishing continuing education requirements that promote continuous 
29.1 	improvement and acquisition of new and relevant skills by school administrators. 
29.2 	Continuing education programs, among other things, must provide school administrators 
29.3 	with information and training about building coherent and effective English learner 
29.4 	strategies that include relevant professional development, accountability for student 
29.5 	progress, students' access to the general curriculum, and sufficient staff capacity to effect 
29.6 	these strategies. A retired school principal who serves as a substitute principal or assistant 
29.7 	principal for the same person on a day-to-day basis for no more than 15 consecutive 
29.8 	school days is not subject to continuing education requirements as a condition of serving 
29.9 	as a substitute principal or assistant principal.

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

29.11 	Sec. 20. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 122A.18, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
29.12 		Subd. 2.Teacher and support personnel qualifications. (a) The Board of Teaching 
29.13 	must issue licenses under its jurisdiction to persons the board finds to be qualified and 
29.14 	competent for their respective positions, including those meeting the standards adopted 
29.15 	under section 122A.09, subdivision 4, paragraph (o).
29.16 	(b) The board must require a person to pass ancandidate for teacher licensure to 
29.17 	demonstrate a passing score on a board-adopted examination of skills in reading, writing, 
29.18 	and mathematics or attain either a composite score composed of the average of the scores 
29.19 	in English and writing, reading, and mathematics on the ACT Plus Writing recommended 
29.20 	by the board, or an equivalent composite score composed of the average of the scores 
29.21 	in critical reading, mathematics, and writing on the SAT recommended by the board, 
29.22 	before being granted an initial teaching license to provide direct instruction to pupils in 
29.23 	prekindergarten, elementary, secondary, or special education programs, except that the 
29.24 	board may issue up to twofour temporary, one-year teaching licenses to an otherwise 
29.25 	qualified candidate who has not yet passed thea board-adopted skills exam or attained 
29.26 	the requisite composite score on the ACT Plus Writing or SAT. The board must require 
29.27 	colleges and universities offering a board approved teacher preparation program to make 
29.28 	available upon request remedial assistance that includes a formal diagnostic component 
29.29 	to persons enrolled in their institution who did not achieve a qualifying score on the 
29.30 	a board-adopted skills examination or attain the requisite composite ACT Plus Writing 
29.31 	or SAT score, including those for whom English is a second language. The colleges and 
29.32 	universities must make available assistance in the specific academic areas of candidates' 
29.33 	deficiency. School districts may make available upon request similar, appropriate, and 
29.34 	timely remedial assistance that includes a formal diagnostic component to those persons 
29.35 	employed by the district who completed their teacher education program, who did not 
30.1 	achieve a qualifying score on thea board-adopted skills examination, or attain the requisite 
30.2 	composite ACT Plus Writing or SAT score, and who received a temporary license to teach 
30.3 	in Minnesota. The Board of Teaching shall report annually to the education committees of 
30.4 	the legislature on the total number of teacher candidates during the most recent school 
30.5 	year taking thea board-adopted skills examination, the number who achieve a qualifying 
30.6 	score on the examination, the number who do not achieve a qualifying score on the 
30.7 	examination, the distribution of all candidates' scores, the number of candidates who have 
30.8 	taken the examination at least once before, and the number of candidates who have taken 
30.9 	the examination at least once before and achieve a qualifying score, and the candidates 
30.10 	who have not attained the requisite composite ACT Plus Writing or SAT score or have 
30.11 	not passed a content or pedagogy exam, disaggregated by categories of race, ethnicity, 
30.12 	and eligibility for financial aid.
30.13 	(c) The Board of Teaching must grant continuing licenses only to those persons who 
30.14 	have met board criteria for granting a continuing license, which includes passing thea 
30.15 	board-adopted skills examination in reading, writing, and mathematics or attaining the 
30.16 	requisite composite ACT Plus Writing or SAT score consistent with paragraph (b), and the 
30.17 	exceptions in section 122A.09, subdivision 4, paragraph (b), that are consistent with this 
30.18 	paragraph. The requirement to pass a board-adopted reading, writing, and mathematics 
30.19 	skills examination, or attain the requisite composite score on the ACT Plus Writing or SAT 
30.20 	does not apply to nonnative English speakers, as verified by qualified Minnesota school 
30.21 	district personnel or Minnesota higher education faculty, who, after meeting the content and 
30.22 	pedagogy requirements under this subdivision, apply for a teaching license to provide direct 
30.23 	instruction in their native language or world language instruction under section 120B.022, 
30.24 	subdivision 1. A teacher candidate's official ACT Plus Writing or SAT composite score 
30.25 	report to the board must not be more than ten years old at the time of licensure.
30.26 	(d) All colleges and universities approved by the board of teaching to prepare persons 
30.27 	for teacher licensure must include in their teacher preparation programs a common core 
30.28 	of teaching knowledge and skills to be acquired by all persons recommended for teacher 
30.29 	licensure. Among other requirements, teacher candidates must demonstrate the knowledge 
30.30 	and skills needed to provide appropriate instruction to English learners to support and 
30.31 	accelerate their academic literacy, including oral academic language, and achievement in 
30.32 	content areas in a regular classroom setting. This common core shall meet the standards 
30.33 	developed by the interstate new teacher assessment and support consortium in its 1992 
30.34 	"model standards for beginning teacher licensing and development." Amendments to 
30.35 	standards adopted under this paragraph are covered by chapter 14. The board of teaching 
30.36 	shall report annually to the education committees of the legislature on the performance 
31.1 	of teacher candidates on common core assessments of knowledge and skills under this 
31.2 	paragraph during the most recent school year.

31.3 	Sec. 21. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 122A.18, is amended by adding a 
31.4 	subdivision to read:
31.5 		Subd. 4a.Limited provisional licenses. The board may grant two-year provisional 
31.6 	licenses to a licensure candidate in a field in which they were not previously licensed or in a 
31.7 	field in which a shortage of licensed teachers exists. A shortage is defined as an inadequate 
31.8 	supply of licensed personnel in a given licensure area as determined by the commissioner.

31.9 	Sec. 22. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 122A.20, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
31.10 		Subdivision 1.Grounds for revocation, suspension, or denial. (a) The Board of 
31.11 	Teaching or Board of School Administrators, whichever has jurisdiction over a teacher's 
31.12 	licensure, may, on the written complaint of the school board employing a teacher, a teacher 
31.13 	organization, or any other interested person, refuse to issue, refuse to renew, suspend, or 
31.14 	revoke a teacher's license to teach for any of the following causes:
31.15 	(1) immoral character or conduct;
31.16 	(2) failure, without justifiable cause, to teach for the term of the teacher's contract;
31.17 	(3) gross inefficiency or willful neglect of duty;
31.18 	(4) failure to meet licensure requirements; or
31.19 	(5) fraud or misrepresentation in obtaining a license.
31.20 	The written complaint must specify the nature and character of the charges.
31.21 	(b) The Board of Teaching or Board of School Administrators, whichever 
31.22 	has jurisdiction over a teacher's licensure, shall refuse to issue, refuse to renew, or 
31.23 	automatically revoke a teacher's license to teach without the right to a hearing upon 
31.24 	receiving a certified copy of a conviction showing that the teacher has been convicted 
31.25 	of child abuse, as defined in section 609.185, sex trafficking in the first degree under 
31.26 	section 609.322, subdivision 1, engaging in hiring, or agreeing to hire a minor to engage 
31.27 	in prostitution under section 609.324, subdivision 1, sexual abuse under section 609.342, 
31.28 	609.343, 609.344, 609.345, 609.3451, subdivision 3, or 617.23, subdivision 3, solicitation 
31.29 	of children to engage in sexual conduct or communication of sexually explicit materials 
31.30 	to children under section 609.352, interference with privacy under section 609.746 or 
31.31 	stalking under section 609.749 and the victim was a minor, using minors in a sexual 
31.32 	performance under section 617.246, or possessing pornographic works involving a minor 
31.33 	under section 617.247, or any other offense not listed in this paragraph that requires the 
31.34 	person to register as a predatory offender under section 243.166, or a crime under a similar 
32.1 	law of another state or the United States. The board shall send notice of this licensing 
32.2 	action to the district in which the teacher is currently employed.
32.3 	(c) A person whose license to teach has been revoked, not issued, or not renewed 
32.4 	under paragraph (b), may petition the board to reconsider the licensing action if the 
32.5 	person's conviction for child abuse or sexual abuse is reversed by a final decision of the 
32.6 	Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court or if the person has received a pardon for the 
32.7 	offense. The petitioner shall attach a certified copy of the appellate court's final decision or 
32.8 	the pardon to the petition. Upon receiving the petition and its attachment, the board shall 
32.9 	schedule and hold a disciplinary hearing on the matter under section 214.10, subdivision 2, 
32.10 	unless the petitioner waives the right to a hearing. If the board finds that, notwithstanding 
32.11 	the reversal of the petitioner's criminal conviction or the issuance of a pardon, the 
32.12 	petitioner is disqualified from teaching under paragraph (a), clause (1), the board shall 
32.13 	affirm its previous licensing action. If the board finds that the petitioner is not disqualified 
32.14 	from teaching under paragraph (a), clause (1), it shall reverse its previous licensing action.
32.15 	(d) For purposes of this subdivision, the Board of Teaching is delegated the authority 
32.16 	to suspend or revoke coaching licenses.

32.17 	Sec. 23. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 122A.21, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
32.18 		Subd. 2.Licensure via portfolio. (a) An eligible candidate may use licensure 
32.19 	via portfolio to obtain an initial licensure or to add a licensure field, consistent with the 
32.20 	applicable Board of Teaching licensure rules.
32.21 	(b) A candidate for initial licensure must submit to the Educator Licensing Division 
32.22 	at the department Board of Teaching one portfolio demonstrating pedagogical competence 
32.23 	and one portfolio demonstrating content competence.
32.24 	(c) A candidate seeking to add a licensure field must submit to the Educator 
32.25 	Licensing Division at the department Board of Teaching one portfolio demonstrating 
32.26 	content competence.
32.27 	(d) The Board of Teaching must approve or disapprove candidates' portfolios under 
32.28 	paragraph (b) or (c) within 90 calendar days after receiving the portfolio. If the portfolio is 
32.29 	not approved, the board must immediately inform the candidate how to revise the portfolio 
32.30 	to successfully demonstrate the requisite competence. The candidate may resubmit a 
32.31 	revised portfolio within 90 calendar days of receiving notification from the board and the 
32.32 	board must approve or disapprove the portfolio within 60 calendar days of receiving it.
32.33 	(d) (e) A candidate must pay to the executive secretary of the Board of Teaching a 
32.34 	$300 fee for the first portfolio submitted for review and a $200 fee for any portfolio 
32.35 	submitted subsequently. The fees must be paid to the executive secretary of the Board of 
33.1 	Teaching. The revenue generated from the fee must be deposited in an education licensure 
33.2 	portfolio account in the special revenue fund. The fees set by the Board of Teaching are 
33.3 	nonrefundable for applicants not qualifying for a license. The Board of Teaching may 
33.4 	waive or reduce fees for candidates based on financial need.

33.5 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment 
33.6 	and applies to all portfolios submitted to the Board of Teaching after that date.

33.7 	Sec. 24. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 122A.23, is amended to read:
33.8 	122A.23 APPLICANTS TRAINED IN OTHER STATES.
33.9 		Subdivision 1.Preparation equivalency. When a license to teach is authorized to 
33.10 	be issued to any holder of a diploma or a degree of a Minnesota state university, or of the 
33.11 	University of Minnesota, or of a liberal arts university, or a technical training institution, 
33.12 	such license may also, in the discretion of the Board of Teaching or the commissioner of 
33.13 	education, whichever has jurisdiction, be issued to any holder of a diploma or a degree 
33.14 	of a teacher training institution of equivalent rank and standing of any other state. The 
33.15 	diploma or degree must be granted by virtue of completing a course in teacher preparation 
33.16 	essentially equivalent in content to that required by such Minnesota state university or the 
33.17 	University of Minnesota or a liberal arts university in Minnesota or a technical training 
33.18 	institution as preliminary to the granting of a diploma or a degree of the same rank and 
33.19 	class. For purposes of granting a Minnesota teaching license to a person who receives a 
33.20 	diploma or degree from a state-accredited, out-of-state teacher training program leading to 
33.21 	licensure, the Board of Teaching must establishpublish established criteria and streamlined 
33.22 	procedures by January 1, 2016, to recognize the experience and professional credentials of 
33.23 	the person holding the out-of-state diploma or degree and allow that person to demonstrate 
33.24 	to the board the person's qualifications for receiving a Minnesota teaching license based 
33.25 	on performance measures the board adopts by January 1, 2016, under this section.
33.26 		Subd. 2.Applicants licensed in other states. (a) Subject to the requirements of 
33.27 	sections 122A.18, subdivision 8, and 123B.03, the Board of Teaching must issue a teaching 
33.28 	license or a temporary teaching license under paragraphs (b) to (e) to an applicant who holds 
33.29 	at least a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university and holds 
33.30 	or held a similar out-of-state teaching license that requires the applicant to successfully 
33.31 	complete a teacher preparation program approved by the issuing state, which includes 
33.32 	field-specific teaching methods and student teaching or essentially equivalent experience.
33.33 	(b) The Board of Teaching must issue a teaching license to an applicant who:
34.1 	(1) successfully completed all exams and human relations preparation components 
34.2 	required by the Board of Teaching; and
34.3 	(2) holds or held an out-of-state teaching license to teach the same content field and 
34.4 	grade levels if the scope of the out-of-state license is no more than two grade levels less 
34.5 	than a similar Minnesota license.
34.6 	(c) The Board of Teaching, consistent with board rules and paragraph (h), must issue 
34.7 	up to threefour one-year temporary teaching licenses to an applicant who holds or held 
34.8 	an out-of-state teaching license to teach the same content field and grade levels, where 
34.9 	the scope of the out-of-state license is no more than two grade levels less than a similar 
34.10 	Minnesota license, but has not successfully completed all exams and human relations 
34.11 	preparation components required by the Board of Teaching.
34.12 	(d) The Board of Teaching, consistent with board rules, must issue up to threefour 
34.13 	one-year temporary teaching licenses to an applicant who:
34.14 	(1) successfully completed all exams and human relations preparation components 
34.15 	required by the Board of Teaching; and
34.16 	(2) holds or held an out-of-state teaching license to teach the same content field 
34.17 	and grade levels, where the scope of the out-of-state license is no more than two grade 
34.18 	levels less than a similar Minnesota license, but has not completed field-specific teaching 
34.19 	methods or student teaching or equivalent experience.
34.20 	The applicant may complete field-specific teaching methods and student teaching 
34.21 	or equivalent experience by successfully participating in a one-year school district 
34.22 	mentorship program consistent with board-adopted standards of effective practice and 
34.23 	Minnesota graduation requirements.
34.24 	(e) The Board of Teaching must issue a temporaryrestricted teaching license for 
34.25 	a term of up to three years only in the content field or grade levels specified in the 
34.26 	out-of-state license to an applicant who:
34.27 	(1) successfully completed all exams and human relations preparation components 
34.28 	required by the Board of Teaching; and
34.29 	(2) holds or held an out-of-state teaching license where the out-of-state license is 
34.30 	more limited in the content field or grade levels than a similar Minnesota license.
34.31 	(f) The Board of Teaching must not issue to an applicant more than three one-year 
34.32 	temporary teaching licenses under this subdivision may issue a two-year limited 
34.33 	provisional license to an applicant under this subdivision to teach in a shortage area, 
34.34 	consistent with section 122A.18, subdivision 4a.
35.1 	(g) The Board of Teaching must not issue a license under this subdivision if the 
35.2 	applicant has not attained the additional degrees, credentials, or licenses required in a 
35.3 	particular licensure field.
35.4 	(h) The Board of Teaching must require an applicant for a teaching license or 
35.5 	a temporary teaching license under this subdivision to pass a board-adopted skills 
35.6 	examination in reading, writing, and mathematics or demonstrate, consistent with section 
35.7 	122A.09, subdivision 4, the applicant's attainment of either the requisite composite ACT 
35.8 	Plus Writing or SAT score before the board issues the license unless, notwithstanding 
35.9 	other provisions of this subdivision, an applicable board-approved National Association of 
35.10 	State Directors of Teacher Education interstate reciprocity agreement exists to allow fully 
35.11 	certified teachers from other states to transfer their certification to Minnesota.
35.12 		Subd. 3.Teacher licensure agreements with adjoining states. (a) Notwithstanding 
35.13 	any other law to the contrary, the Board of Teaching must enter into National Association of 
35.14 	State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) interstate agreements 
35.15 	for teacher licensure to allow fully certified teachers from adjoining states to transfer 
35.16 	their certification to Minnesota. The board must enter into these interstate agreements 
35.17 	only after determining that the rigor of the teacher licensure or certification requirements 
35.18 	in the adjoining state is commensurate with the rigor of Minnesota's teacher licensure 
35.19 	requirements. The board may limit an interstate agreement to particular content fields or 
35.20 	grade levels based on established priorities or identified shortages. This subdivision does 
35.21 	not apply to out-of-state applicants holding only a provisional teaching license.
35.22 	(b) The Board of Teaching must work with designated authorities in adjoining states 
35.23 	to establish interstate teacher licensure agreements under this section.

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

35.25 	Sec. 25. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 122A.245, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
35.26 		Subdivision 1.Requirements. (a) To improve academic excellence, improve ethnic 
35.27 	and cultural diversity in the classroom, and close the academic achievement gap, the 
35.28 	Board of Teaching must approve qualified teacher preparation programs under this section 
35.29 	that are a means to acquire a two-year limited-term license, which the board may renew 
35.30 	one time for an additional one-year term, and to prepare for acquiring a standard license. 
35.31 	The following entities are eligible to participate under this section:
35.32 	(1) a school district or, charter school, or nonprofit corporation organized under 
35.33 	chapter 317A for an education-related purpose that forms a partnership with a college or 
35.34 	university that has a board-approved alternative teacher preparation program; or
36.1 	(2) a school district or charter school, after consulting with a college or university 
36.2 	with a board-approved teacher preparation program, that forms a partnership with a 
36.3 	nonprofit corporation organized under chapter 317A for an education-related purpose that 
36.4 	has a board-approved teacher preparation program.
36.5 	(b) Before participating in this program becoming a teacher of record, a candidate 
36.6 	must:
36.7 	(1) have a bachelor's degree with a 3.0 or higher grade point average unless the 
36.8 	board waives the grade point average requirement based on board-adopted criteria adopted 
36.9 	by January 1, 2016;
36.10 	(2) pass thedemonstrate a passing score on a board-approved reading, writing, and 
36.11 	mathematics skills examination under section 122A.09, subdivision 4, paragraph (b); and
36.12 	(3) obtain qualifying scores on applicable board-approved rigorous content area and 
36.13 	pedagogy examinations under section 122A.09, subdivision 4, paragraph (e).
36.14 	(c) The Board of Teaching must issue a two-year limited-term license to a person 
36.15 	who enrolls in an alternative teacher preparation program.

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

36.17 	Sec. 26. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 122A.245, subdivision 7, is amended to read:
36.18 		Subd. 7.Standard license. The Board of Teaching must issue a standard license 
36.19 	to an otherwise qualified teacher candidate under this section who successfully performs 
36.20 	throughout a program under this section, successfully completes all requiredobtains 
36.21 	qualifying scores on applicable board-approved rigorous skills, pedagogy, and content 
36.22 	area examinations under section 122A.09, subdivision 4, paragraphs (a) and (e), and is 
36.23 	recommended for licensure under subdivision 5 or successfully demonstrates to the board 
36.24 	qualifications for licensure under subdivision 6.

36.25 	Sec. 27. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 122A.30, is amended to read:
36.26 	122A.30 EXEMPTION FOR TECHNICAL COLLEGE EDUCATION 
36.27 	INSTRUCTORS.
36.28 	(a) Notwithstanding section 122A.15, subdivision 1, and upon approval of the local 
36.29 	employer school board, a person who teaches in a part-time vocational or career and 
36.30 	technical education program not more than 61 hours per fiscal year is exempt from a 
36.31 	license requirement. Nothing in this section shall exclude licensed career and technical 
36.32 	educators from the definition of "teacher" in section 122A.40, 122A.41, or 179A.03.
36.33 	(b) This section expires June 30, 2020.

37.1 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment 
37.2 	and applies to all technical education instructors hired after that date.

37.3 	Sec. 28. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 122A.40, subdivision 8, is amended to read:
37.4 		Subd. 8.Development, evaluation, and peer coaching for continuing contract 
37.5 	teachers. (a) To improve student learning and success, a school board and an exclusive 
37.6 	representative of the teachers in the district, consistent with paragraph (b), may develop 
37.7 	a teacher evaluation and peer review process for probationary and continuing contract 
37.8 	teachers through joint agreement. If a school board and the exclusive representative of the 
37.9 	teachers do not agree to an annual teacher evaluation and peer review process, then the 
37.10 	school board and the exclusive representative of the teachers must implement the state 
37.11 	teacher evaluation plan under paragraph (c). The process must include having trained 
37.12 	observers serve as peer coaches or having teachers participate in professional learning 
37.13 	communities, consistent with paragraph (b).
37.14 	(b) To develop, improve, and support qualified teachers and effective teaching 
37.15 	practices and improve student learning and success, the annual evaluation process for 
37.16 	teachers:
37.17 	(1) must, for probationary teachers, provide for all evaluations required under 
37.18 	subdivision 5;
37.19 	(2) must establish a three-year professional review cycle for each teacher that 
37.20 	includes an individual growth and development plan, a peer review process, and at least 
37.21 	one summative evaluation performed by a qualified and trained evaluator such as a school 
37.22 	administrator. For the years when a tenured teacher is not evaluated by a qualified and 
37.23 	trained evaluator, the teacher must be evaluated by a peer review;
37.24 	(3) must be based on professional teaching standards established in rule;
37.25 	(4) must coordinate staff development activities under sections 122A.60 and 
37.26 	122A.61 with this evaluation process and teachers' evaluation outcomes;
37.27 	(5) may provide time during the school day and school year for peer coaching and 
37.28 	teacher collaboration;
37.29 	(6) may include job-embedded learning opportunities such as professional learning 
37.30 	communities;
37.31 	(7) may include mentoring and induction programs;
37.32 	(8) must include an option for teachers to develop and present a portfolio 
37.33 	demonstrating evidence of reflection and professional growth, consistent with section 
37.34 	122A.18, subdivision 4, paragraph (b), and include teachers' own performance assessment 
38.1 	based on student work samples and examples of teachers' work, which may include video 
38.2 	among other activities for the summative evaluation;
38.3 	(9) must use data from valid and reliable assessments aligned to state and local 
38.4 	academic standards and must use state and local measures of student growth and literacy 
38.5 	that may include value-added models or student learning goals to determine 35 percent of 
38.6 	teacher evaluation results;
38.7 	(10) must use longitudinal data on student engagement and connection, and other 
38.8 	student outcome measures explicitly aligned with the elements of curriculum for which 
38.9 	teachers are responsible, including academic literacy, oral academic language, and 
38.10 	achievement of content areas of English learners;
38.11 	(11) must require qualified and trained evaluators such as school administrators to 
38.12 	perform summative evaluations and ensure school districts and charter schools provide for 
38.13 	effective evaluator training specific to teacher development and evaluation;
38.14 	(12) must give teachers not meeting professional teaching standards under clauses 
38.15 	(3) through (11) support to improve through a teacher improvement process that includes 
38.16 	established goals and timelines; and
38.17 	(13) must discipline a teacher for not making adequate progress in the teacher 
38.18 	improvement process under clause (12) that may include a last chance warning, 
38.19 	termination, discharge, nonrenewal, transfer to a different position, a leave of absence, or 
38.20 	other discipline a school administrator determines is appropriate.
38.21 	Data on individual teachers generated under this subdivision are personnel data 
38.22 	under section 13.43. The observation and interview notes of peer coaches may only be 
38.23 	disclosed to other school officials with the consent of the teacher being coached.
38.24 	(c) The department, in consultation with parents who may represent parent 
38.25 	organizations and teacher and administrator representatives appointed by their respective 
38.26 	organizations, representing the Board of Teaching, the Minnesota Association of School 
38.27 	Administrators, the Minnesota School Boards Association, the Minnesota Elementary 
38.28 	and Secondary Principals Associations, Education Minnesota, and representatives of 
38.29 	the Minnesota Assessment Group, the Minnesota Business Partnership, the Minnesota 
38.30 	Chamber of Commerce, and Minnesota postsecondary institutions with research expertise 
38.31 	in teacher evaluation, must create and publish a teacher evaluation process that complies 
38.32 	with the requirements in paragraph (b) and applies to all teachers under this section and 
38.33 	section 122A.41 for whom no agreement exists under paragraph (a) for an annual teacher 
38.34 	evaluation and peer review process. The teacher evaluation process created under this 
38.35 	subdivision does not create additional due process rights for probationary teachers under 
38.36 	subdivision 5.
39.1 	(d) Consistent with the measures of teacher effectiveness under this subdivision:
39.2 	(1) for students in kindergarten through grade 4, a school administrator must not 
39.3 	place or approve the placement of a student in the classroom of a teacher who is in the 
39.4 	improvement process referenced in paragraph (b), clause (12), or has not had a summative 
39.5 	evaluation if, in the prior year, that student was in the classroom of a teacher who received 
39.6 	discipline pursuant to paragraph (b), clause (13), unless no other teacher at the school 
39.7 	teaches that grade; and
39.8 	(2) for students in grades 5 through 12, a school administrator must not place 
39.9 	or approve the placement of a student in the classroom of a teacher who is in the 
39.10 	improvement process referenced in paragraph (b), clause (12), or has not had a summative 
39.11 	evaluation if, in the prior year, that student was in the classroom of a teacher who received 
39.12 	discipline pursuant to paragraph (b), clause (13), unless no other teacher at the school 
39.13 	teaches that subject area and grade.
39.14 	All data created and used under this paragraph retains its classification under chapter 13.

39.15 	Sec. 29. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 122A.41, subdivision 5, is amended to read:
39.16 		Subd. 5.Development, evaluation, and peer coaching for continuing contract 
39.17 	teachers. (a) To improve student learning and success, a school board and an exclusive 
39.18 	representative of the teachers in the district, consistent with paragraph (b), may develop an 
39.19 	annual teacher evaluation and peer review process for probationary and nonprobationary 
39.20 	teachers through joint agreement. If a school board and the exclusive representative of 
39.21 	the teachers in the district do not agree to an annual teacher evaluation and peer review 
39.22 	process, then the school board and the exclusive representative of the teachers must 
39.23 	implement the state teacher evaluation plan developed under paragraph (c). The process 
39.24 	must include having trained observers serve as peer coaches or having teachers participate 
39.25 	in professional learning communities, consistent with paragraph (b).
39.26 	(b) To develop, improve, and support qualified teachers and effective teaching 
39.27 	practices and improve student learning and success, the annual evaluation process for 
39.28 	teachers:
39.29 	(1) must, for probationary teachers, provide for all evaluations required under 
39.30 	subdivision 2;
39.31 	(2) must establish a three-year professional review cycle for each teacher that 
39.32 	includes an individual growth and development plan, a peer review process, and at least 
39.33 	one summative evaluation performed by a qualified and trained evaluator such as a school 
39.34 	administrator;
39.35 	(3) must be based on professional teaching standards established in rule;
40.1 	(4) must coordinate staff development activities under sections 122A.60 and 
40.2 	122A.61 with this evaluation process and teachers' evaluation outcomes;
40.3 	(5) may provide time during the school day and school year for peer coaching and 
40.4 	teacher collaboration;
40.5 	(6) may include job-embedded learning opportunities such as professional learning 
40.6 	communities;
40.7 	(7) may include mentoring and induction programs;
40.8 	(8) must include an option for teachers to develop and present a portfolio 
40.9 	demonstrating evidence of reflection and professional growth, consistent with section 
40.10 	122A.18, subdivision 4, paragraph (b), and include teachers' own performance assessment 
40.11 	based on student work samples and examples of teachers' work, which may include video 
40.12 	among other activities for the summative evaluation;
40.13 	(9) must use data from valid and reliable assessments aligned to state and local 
40.14 	academic standards and must use state and local measures of student growth and literacy 
40.15 	that may include value-added models or student learning goals to determine 35 percent of 
40.16 	teacher evaluation results;
40.17 	(10) must use longitudinal data on student engagement and connection and other 
40.18 	student outcome measures explicitly aligned with the elements of curriculum for which 
40.19 	teachers are responsible, including academic literacy, oral academic language, and 
40.20 	achievement of English learners;
40.21 	(11) must require qualified and trained evaluators such as school administrators to 
40.22 	perform summative evaluations and ensure school districts and charter schools provide for 
40.23 	effective evaluator training specific to teacher development and evaluation;
40.24 	(12) must give teachers not meeting professional teaching standards under clauses 
40.25 	(3) through (11) support to improve through a teacher improvement process that includes 
40.26 	established goals and timelines; and
40.27 	(13) must discipline a teacher for not making adequate progress in the teacher 
40.28 	improvement process under clause (12) that may include a last chance warning, 
40.29 	termination, discharge, nonrenewal, transfer to a different position, a leave of absence, or 
40.30 	other discipline a school administrator determines is appropriate.
40.31 	Data on individual teachers generated under this subdivision are personnel data 
40.32 	under section 13.43. The observation and interview notes of peer coaches may only be 
40.33 	disclosed to other school officials with the consent of the teacher being coached.
40.34 	(c) The department, in consultation with parents who may represent parent 
40.35 	organizations and teacher and administrator representatives appointed by their respective 
40.36 	organizations, representing the Board of Teaching, the Minnesota Association of School 
41.1 	Administrators, the Minnesota School Boards Association, the Minnesota Elementary 
41.2 	and Secondary Principals Associations, Education Minnesota, and representatives of 
41.3 	the Minnesota Assessment Group, the Minnesota Business Partnership, the Minnesota 
41.4 	Chamber of Commerce, and Minnesota postsecondary institutions with research expertise 
41.5 	in teacher evaluation, must create and publish a teacher evaluation process that complies 
41.6 	with the requirements in paragraph (b) and applies to all teachers under this section and 
41.7 	section 122A.40 for whom no agreement exists under paragraph (a) for an annual teacher 
41.8 	evaluation and peer review process. The teacher evaluation process created under this 
41.9 	subdivision does not create additional due process rights for probationary teachers under 
41.10 	subdivision 2.
41.11 	(d) Consistent with the measures of teacher effectiveness under this subdivision:
41.12 	(1) for students in kindergarten through grade 4, a school administrator must not 
41.13 	place or approve the placement of a student in the classroom of a teacher who is in the 
41.14 	improvement process referenced in paragraph (b), clause (12), or has not had a summative 
41.15 	evaluation if, in the prior year, that student was in the classroom of a teacher who received 
41.16 	discipline pursuant to paragraph (b), clause (13), unless no other teacher at the school 
41.17 	teaches that grade; and
41.18 	(2) for students in grades 5 through 12, a school administrator must not place 
41.19 	or approve the placement of a student in the classroom of a teacher who is in the 
41.20 	improvement process referenced in paragraph (b), clause (12), or has not had a summative 
41.21 	evaluation if, in the prior year, that student was in the classroom of a teacher who received 
41.22 	discipline pursuant to paragraph (b), clause (13), unless no other teacher at the school 
41.23 	teaches that subject area and grade.
41.24 	All data created and used under this paragraph retains its classification under chapter 13.

41.25 	Sec. 30. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 122A.69, is amended to read:
41.26 	122A.69 PRACTICE OR STUDENT TEACHERS.
41.27 	The Board of Teaching may, by agreements with teacher preparingpreparation 
41.28 	institutions, arrange for classroom experience in the district for practice or student 
41.29 	teachers who have completed not less thanat least two years of an approved teacher 
41.30 	educationpreparation program. Such practice and student teachers must be provided with 
41.31 	appropriate supervisionappropriately supervised by a fully qualified teacher under rules 
41.32 	promulgated adopted by the board. A practice or student teacher must be placed with a 
41.33 	cooperating licensed teacher who has at least three years of teaching experience and is not 
41.34 	in the improvement process under section 122A.40, subdivision 8, paragraph (b), clause 
41.35 	(12), or section 122A.41, subdivision 5, paragraph (b), clause (12). Practice and student 
42.1 	teachers are deemed employees of the school district in which they are rendering services 
42.2 	for purposes of workers' compensation; liability insurance, if provided for other district 
42.3 	employees in accordance withunder section 123B.23; and legal counsel in accordance 
42.4 	with the provisions of under section 123B.25.

42.5 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for the 2015-2016 school year and 
42.6 	later.

42.7 	Sec. 31. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.09, subdivision 5, is amended to read:
42.8 		Subd. 5.Authorization; notification. Notwithstanding any other law to the 
42.9 	contrary, an 11th or 12th grade pupil enrolled in a school or an American Indian-controlled 
42.10 	tribal contract or grant school eligible for aid under section 124D.83, except a foreign 
42.11 	exchange pupil enrolled in a district under a cultural exchange program, may apply to an 
42.12 	eligible institution, as defined in subdivision 3, to enroll in nonsectarian courses offered by 
42.13 	that postsecondary institution. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, a 9th or 10th 
42.14 	grade pupil enrolled in a district or an American Indian-controlled tribal contract or grant 
42.15 	school eligible for aid under section 124D.83, except a foreign exchange pupil enrolled in 
42.16 	a district under a cultural exchange program, may apply to enroll in nonsectarian courses 
42.17 	offered under subdivision 10, if (1) after all 11th and 12th grade students have applied 
42.18 	for a course, additional students are necessary to offer the course or (2) the course is a 
42.19 	world language course. If an institution accepts a secondary pupil for enrollment under 
42.20 	this section, the institution shall send written notice to the pupil, the pupil's school or 
42.21 	school district, and the commissioner within ten days of acceptance. The notice must 
42.22 	indicate the course and hours of enrollment of that pupil. If the pupil enrolls in a course for 
42.23 	postsecondary credit, the institution must notify the pupil about payment in the customary 
42.24 	manner used by the institution.

42.25 	Sec. 32. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.09, subdivision 5a, is amended to read:
42.26 		Subd. 5a.Authorization; career or technical education. A 10th, 11th, or 12th 
42.27 	grade pupil enrolled in a district or an American Indian-controlled tribal contract or grant 
42.28 	school eligible for aid under section 124D.83, except a foreign exchange pupil enrolled in 
42.29 	a district under a cultural exchange program, may enroll in a career or technical education 
42.30 	course offered by a Minnesota state college or university. A 10th grade pupil applying 
42.31 	for enrollment in a career or technical education course under this subdivision must have 
42.32 	received a passing score on the 8th grade Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment in 
42.33 	reading as a condition of enrollment. A current 10th grade pupil who did not take the 8th 
42.34 	grade Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment in reading may substitute another reading 
43.1 	assessment accepted by the enrolling postsecondary institution. A secondary pupil may 
43.2 	enroll in the pupil's first postsecondary options enrollment course under this subdivision. 
43.3 	A student who is refused enrollment by a Minnesota state college or university under this 
43.4 	subdivision may apply to an eligible institution offering a career or technical education 
43.5 	course. The postsecondary institution must give priority to its students according to 
43.6 	subdivision 9. If a secondary student receives a grade of "C" or better in the career or 
43.7 	technical education course taken under this subdivision, the postsecondary institution 
43.8 	must allow the student to take additional postsecondary courses for secondary credit at 
43.9 	that institution, not to exceed the limits in subdivision 8. A "career or technical course" is 
43.10 	a course that is part of a career and technical education program that provides individuals 
43.11 	with coherent, rigorous content aligned with academic standards and relevant technical 
43.12 	knowledge and skills needed to prepare for further education and careers in current and 
43.13 	emerging professions and provide technical skill proficiency, an industry recognized 
43.14 	credential, and a certificate, a diploma, or an associate degree.

43.15 	Sec. 33. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.09, subdivision 9, is amended to read:
43.16 		Subd. 9.Enrollment priority. (a) A postsecondary institution shall give priority to 
43.17 	its postsecondary students when enrolling 10th, 11th, and 12th grade pupils in its courses. 
43.18 	A postsecondary institution may provide information about its programs to a secondary 
43.19 	school or to a pupil or parent and it may advertise or otherwise recruit or solicit a secondary 
43.20 	pupil to enroll in its programs on educational and programmatic grounds only except, 
43.21 	notwithstanding other law to the contrary, and for the 2014-2015 through 2019-2020 
43.22 	school years only, an eligible postsecondary institution may advertise or otherwise recruit 
43.23 	or solicit a secondary pupil residing in a school district with 700 students or more in grades 
43.24 	10, 11, and 12, to enroll in its programs on educational, programmatic, or financial grounds. 
43.25 	(b) An institution must not enroll secondary pupils, for postsecondary enrollment 
43.26 	options purposes, in remedial, developmental, or other courses that are not college level 
43.27 	except when a student eligible to participate and enrolled in the graduation incentives 
43.28 	program under section 124D.68 enrolls full time in a middle or early college program. A 
43.29 	middle or early college program must be specifically designed to allow the student to earn 
43.30 	dual high school and college credit with a well-defined pathway to allow the student to earn 
43.31 	a postsecondary degree or credential. In this case, the student shall receive developmental 
43.32 	college credit and not college credit for completing remedial or developmental courses. 
43.33 	(c) Once a pupil has been enrolled in any postsecondary course under this section, 
43.34 	the pupil shall not be displaced by another student.
44.1 	(b) (d) If a postsecondary institution enrolls a secondary school pupil in a course 
44.2 	under this section, the postsecondary institution also must enroll in the same course an 
44.3 	otherwise enrolled and qualified postsecondary student who qualifies as a veteran under 
44.4 	section 197.447, and demonstrates to the postsecondary institution's satisfaction that the 
44.5 	institution's established enrollment timelines were not practicable for that student.

44.6 	Sec. 34. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.10, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
44.7 		Subd. 3.Authorizer. (a) For purposes of this section, the terms defined in this 
44.8 	subdivision have the meanings given them.
44.9 	"Application" to receive approval as an authorizer means the proposal an eligible 
44.10 	authorizer submits to the commissioner under paragraph (c) before that authorizer is able 
44.11 	to submit any affidavit to charter to a school.
44.12 	"Application" under subdivision 4 means the charter school business plan a 
44.13 	school developer submits to an authorizer for approval to establish a charter school that 
44.14 	documents the school developer's mission statement, school purposes, program design, 
44.15 	financial plan, governance and management structure, and background and experience, 
44.16 	plus any other information the authorizer requests. The application also shall include a 
44.17 	"statement of assurances" of legal compliance prescribed by the commissioner.
44.18 	"Affidavit" means a written statement the authorizer submits to the commissioner 
44.19 	for approval to establish a charter school under subdivision 4 attesting to its review and 
44.20 	approval process before chartering a school.
44.21 	(b) The following organizations may authorize one or more charter schools:
44.22 	(1) a school board, intermediate school district school board, or education district 
44.23 	organized under sections 123A.15 to 123A.19;
44.24 	(2) a charitable organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code 
44.25 	of 1986, excluding a nonpublic sectarian or religious institution; any person other than a 
44.26 	natural person that directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, controls, 
44.27 	is controlled by, or is under common control with the nonpublic sectarian or religious 
44.28 	institution; and any other charitable organization under this clause that in the federal IRS 
44.29 	Form 1023, Part IV, describes activities indicating a religious purpose, that:
44.30 	(i) is a member of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits or the Minnesota Council on 
44.31 	Foundations;
44.32 	(ii) is registered with the attorney general's office; and
44.33 	(iii) is incorporated in the state of Minnesota and has been operating continuously 
44.34 	for at least five years but does not operate a charter school;
45.1 	(3) a Minnesota private college, notwithstanding clause (2), that grants two- or 
45.2 	four-year degrees and is registered with the Minnesota Office of Higher Education under 
45.3 	chapter 136A; community college, state university, or technical college governed by the 
45.4 	Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities; or the University 
45.5 	of Minnesota;
45.6 	(4) a nonprofit corporation subject to chapter 317A, described in section 317A.905, 
45.7 	and exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code 
45.8 	of 1986, may authorize one or more charter schools if the charter school has operated 
45.9 	for at least three years under a different authorizer and if the nonprofit corporation has 
45.10 	existed for at least 25 years; or
45.11 	(5) single-purpose authorizers formed as charitable, nonsectarian organizations 
45.12 	under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and incorporated in the state 
45.13 	of Minnesota under chapter 317A as a corporation with no members or under section 
45.14 	322B.975 as a nonprofit limited liability company for the sole purpose of chartering schools. 
45.15 	Eligible organizations interested in being approved as an authorizer under this paragraph 
45.16 	must submit a proposal to the commissioner that includes the provisions of paragraph (c) 
45.17 	and a five-year financial plan. Such authorizers shall consider and approve charter school 
45.18 	applications using the criteria provided in subdivision 4 and shall not limit the applications 
45.19 	it solicits, considers, or approves to any single curriculum, learning program, or method.
45.20 	(c) An eligible authorizer under this subdivision must apply to the commissioner for 
45.21 	approval as an authorizer before submitting any affidavit to the commissioner to charter 
45.22 	a school. The application for approval as a charter school authorizer must demonstrate 
45.23 	the applicant's ability to implement the procedures and satisfy the criteria for chartering a 
45.24 	school under this section. The commissioner must approve or disapprove an application 
45.25 	within 45 business days of the application deadline. If the commissioner disapproves 
45.26 	the application, the commissioner must notify the applicant of the specific deficiencies 
45.27 	in writing and the applicant then has 20 business days to address the deficiencies to the 
45.28 	commissioner's satisfaction. After the 20 business days expire, the commissioner has 15 
45.29 	business days to make a final decision to approve or disapprove the application. Failing to 
45.30 	address the deficiencies to the commissioner's satisfaction makes an applicant ineligible to 
45.31 	be an authorizer. The commissioner, in establishing criteria for approval, must consider 
45.32 	the applicant's:
45.33 	(1) capacity and infrastructure;
45.34 	(2) application criteria and process;
45.35 	(3) contracting process;
45.36 	(4) ongoing oversight and evaluation processes; and
46.1 	(5) renewal criteria and processes.
46.2 	(d) An applicant must include in its application to the commissioner to be an 
46.3 	approved authorizer at least the following:
46.4 	(1) how chartering schools is a way for the organization to carry out its mission;
46.5 	(2) a description of the capacity of the organization to serve as an authorizer, 
46.6 	including the personnel who will perform the authorizing duties, their qualifications, the 
46.7 	amount of time they will be assigned to this responsibility, and the financial resources 
46.8 	allocated by the organization to this responsibility;
46.9 	(3) a description of the application and review process the authorizer will use to 
46.10 	make decisions regarding the granting of charters;
46.11 	(4) a description of the type of contract it will arrange with the schools it charters 
46.12 	that meets the provisions of subdivision 6;
46.13 	(5) the process to be used for providing ongoing oversight of the school consistent 
46.14 	with the contract expectations specified in clause (4) that assures that the schools chartered 
46.15 	are complying with both the provisions of applicable law and rules, and with the contract;
46.16 	(6) a description of the criteria and process the authorizer will use to grant expanded 
46.17 	applications under subdivision 4, paragraph (j);
46.18 	(7) the process for making decisions regarding the renewal or termination of 
46.19 	the school's charter based on evidence that demonstrates the academic, organizational, 
46.20 	and financial competency of the school, including its success in increasing student 
46.21 	achievement and meeting the goals of the charter school agreement; and
46.22 	(8) an assurance specifying that the organization is committed to serving as an 
46.23 	authorizer for the full five-year term.
46.24 	(e) A disapproved applicant under this section may resubmit an application during a 
46.25 	future application period.
46.26 	(f) If the governing board of an approved authorizer votes to withdraw as an 
46.27 	approved authorizer for a reason unrelated to any cause under subdivision 23, the 
46.28 	authorizer must notify all its chartered schools and the commissioner in writing by July 15 
46.29 	of its intent to withdraw as an authorizer on June 30 in the next calendar year, regardless 
46.30 	of when the authorizer's five-year term of approval ends. The commissioner may approve 
46.31 	the transfer of a charter school to a new authorizer under this paragraph after the new 
46.32 	authorizer submits an affidavit to the commissioner.
46.33 	(g) The authorizer must participate in department-approved training.
46.34 	(h) The commissioner shall review an authorizer's performance every five years in 
46.35 	a manner and form determined by the commissioner and may review an authorizer's 
46.36 	performance more frequently at the commissioner's own initiative or at the request of a 
47.1 	charter school operator, charter school board member, or other interested party. The 
47.2 	commissioner, after completing the review, shall transmit a report with findings to the 
47.3 	authorizer. If, consistent with this section, the commissioner finds that an authorizer has 
47.4 	not fulfilled the requirements of this section, the commissioner may subject the authorizer 
47.5 	to corrective action, which may include terminating the contract with the charter school 
47.6 	board of directors of a school it chartered. The commissioner must notify the authorizer 
47.7 	in writing of any findings that may subject the authorizer to corrective action and 
47.8 	the authorizer then has 15 business days to request an informal hearing before the 
47.9 	commissioner takes corrective action. If the commissioner terminates a contract between 
47.10 	an authorizer and a charter school under this paragraph, the commissioner may assist the 
47.11 	charter school in acquiring a new authorizer.
47.12 	(i) The commissioner may at any time take corrective action against an authorizer, 
47.13 	including terminating an authorizer's ability to charter a school for:
47.14 	(1) failing to demonstrate the criteria under paragraph (c) under which the 
47.15 	commissioner approved the authorizer;
47.16 	(2) violating a term of the chartering contract between the authorizer and the charter 
47.17 	school board of directors;
47.18 	(3) unsatisfactory performance as an approved authorizer; or
47.19 	(4) any good cause shown that provides the commissioner a legally sufficient reason 
47.20 	to take corrective action against an authorizer.

47.21 	Sec. 35. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.10, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
47.22 		Subd. 4.Formation of school. (a) An authorizer, after receiving an application from 
47.23 	a school developer, may charter a licensed teacher under section 122A.18, subdivision 
47.24 	1, or a group of individuals that includes one or more licensed teachers under section 
47.25 	122A.18, subdivision 1, to operate a school subject to the commissioner's approval of the 
47.26 	authorizer's affidavit under paragraph (b). The school must be organized and operated as a 
47.27 	nonprofit corporation under chapter 317A and the provisions under the applicable chapter 
47.28 	shall apply to the school except as provided in this section.
47.29 	Notwithstanding sections 465.717 and 465.719, a school district, subject to this 
47.30 	section and section 124D.11, may create a corporation for the purpose of establishing a 
47.31 	charter school.
47.32 	(b) Before the operators may establish and operate a school, the authorizer must file 
47.33 	an affidavit with the commissioner stating its intent to charter a school. An authorizer 
47.34 	must file a separate affidavit for each school it intends to charter. An authorizer must file 
47.35 	an affidavit by May 1 to be able to charter a new school in the next school year after the 
48.1 	commissioner approves the authorizer's affidavit at least 14 months before July 1 of the 
48.2 	year the new charter school plans to serve students. The affidavit must state the terms and 
48.3 	conditions under which the authorizer would charter a school and how the authorizer 
48.4 	intends to oversee the fiscal and student performance of the charter school and to comply 
48.5 	with the terms of the written contract between the authorizer and the charter school 
48.6 	board of directors under subdivision 6. The commissioner must approve or disapprove 
48.7 	the authorizer's affidavit within 60 business days of receipt of the affidavit. If the 
48.8 	commissioner disapproves the affidavit, the commissioner shall notify the authorizer of 
48.9 	the deficiencies in the affidavit and the authorizer then has 20 business days to address the 
48.10 	deficiencies. The commissioner must notify the authorizer of final approval or disapproval 
48.11 	within 15 business days after receiving the authorizer's response to the deficiencies in the 
48.12 	affidavit. If the authorizer does not address deficiencies to the commissioner's satisfaction, 
48.13 	the commissioner's disapproval is final. Failure to obtain commissioner approval precludes 
48.14 	an authorizer from chartering the school that is the subject of this affidavit.
48.15 	(c) The authorizer may prevent an approved charter school from opening for 
48.16 	operation if, among other grounds, the charter school violates this section or does not meet 
48.17 	the ready-to-open standards that are part of the authorizer's oversight and evaluation 
48.18 	process or are stipulated in the charter school contract.
48.19 	(d) The operators authorized to organize and operate a school, before entering into 
48.20 	a contract or other agreement for professional or other services, goods, or facilities, 
48.21 	must incorporate as a nonprofit corporation under chapter 317A and must establish a 
48.22 	board of directors composed of at least five members who are not related parties until a 
48.23 	timely election for members of the ongoing charter school board of directors is held 
48.24 	according to the school's articles and bylaws under paragraph (f). A charter school board 
48.25 	of directors must be composed of at least five members who are not related parties. 
48.26 	Staff members employed at the school, including teachers providing instruction under a 
48.27 	contract with a cooperative, members of the board of directors, and all parents or legal 
48.28 	guardians of children enrolled in the school are the voters eligible to elect the members 
48.29 	of the school's board of directors. A charter school must notify eligible voters of the 
48.30 	school board election dates at least 30 days before the election. Board of director meetings 
48.31 	must comply with chapter 13D.
48.32 	(e) A charter school shall publish and maintain on the school's official Web site: (1) 
48.33 	the minutes of meetings of the board of directors, and of members and committees having 
48.34 	any board-delegated authority, for at least one calendar year from the date of publication; 
48.35 	(2) directory information for members of the board of directors and committees having 
48.36 	board-delegated authority; and (3) identifying and contact information for the school's 
49.1 	authorizer. Identifying and contact information for the school's authorizer must be 
49.2 	included in other school materials made available to the public. Upon request of an 
49.3 	individual, the charter school must also make available in a timely fashion financial 
49.4 	statements showing all operations and transactions affecting income, surplus, and deficit 
49.5 	during the school's last annual accounting period; and a balance sheet summarizing assets 
49.6 	and liabilities on the closing date of the accounting period. A charter school also must 
49.7 	include that same information about its authorizer in other school materials that it makes 
49.8 	available to the public.
49.9 	(f) Every charter school board member shall attend annual training throughout the 
49.10 	member's term on the board. All new board members shall attend initial training on 
49.11 	the board's role and responsibilities, employment policies and practices, and financial 
49.12 	management. A new board member who does not begin the required initial training within 
49.13 	six months after being seated and complete that training within 12 months of being seated 
49.14 	on the board is automatically ineligible to continue to serve as a board member. The 
49.15 	school shall include in its annual report the training attended by each board member 
49.16 	during the previous year.
49.17 	(g) The ongoing board must be elected before the school completes its third year of 
49.18 	operation. Board elections must be held during the school year but may not be conducted 
49.19 	on days when the school is closed for holidays, breaks, or vacations. The charter school 
49.20 	board of directors shall be composed of at least five nonrelated members and include: (i) 
49.21 	at least one licensed teacher employed as a teacher at the school or providing instruction 
49.22 	under contract between the charter school and a cooperative; (ii) at least one parent or 
49.23 	legal guardian of a student enrolled in the charter school who is not an employee of 
49.24 	the charter school; and (iii) at least one interested community member who resides in 
49.25 	Minnesota and is not employed by the charter school and does not have a child enrolled 
49.26 	in the school. The board may include a majority of teachers described in this paragraph 
49.27 	or parents or community members, or it may have no clear majority. The chief financial 
49.28 	officer and the chief administrator may only serve as ex-officio nonvoting board members. 
49.29 	No charter school employees shall serve on the board other than teachers under item (i). 
49.30 	Contractors providing facilities, goods, or services to a charter school shall not serve on 
49.31 	the board of directors of the charter school. Board bylaws shall outline the process and 
49.32 	procedures for changing the board's governance structure, consistent with chapter 317A. 
49.33 	A board may change its governance structure only:
49.34 	(1) by a majority vote of the board of directors and a majority vote of the licensed 
49.35 	teachers employed by the school as teachers, including licensed teachers providing 
49.36 	instruction under a contract between the school and a cooperative; and
50.1 	(2) with the authorizer's approval.
50.2 	Any change in board governance structure must conform with the composition of 
50.3 	the board established under this paragraph.
50.4 	(h) The granting or renewal of a charter by an authorizer must not be conditioned 
50.5 	upon the bargaining unit status of the employees of the school.
50.6 	(i) The granting or renewal of a charter school by an authorizer must not be 
50.7 	contingent on the charter school being required to contract, lease, or purchase services 
50.8 	from the authorizer. Any potential contract, lease, or purchase of service from an 
50.9 	authorizer must be disclosed to the commissioner, accepted through an open bidding 
50.10 	process, and be a separate contract from the charter contract. The school must document 
50.11 	the open bidding process. An authorizer must not enter into a contract to provide 
50.12 	management and financial services for a school that it authorizes, unless the school 
50.13 	documents that it received at least two competitive bids.
50.14 	(j) A charter school may apply to the authorizer to amend the school charter to 
50.15 	expand the operation of the school to additional grades or sites that would be students' 
50.16 	primary enrollment site beyond those defined in the original affidavit approved by the 
50.17 	commissioner. After approving the school's application, the authorizer shall submit a 
50.18 	supplementary affidavit in the form and manner prescribed by the commissioner. The 
50.19 	authorizer must file a supplement affidavit by October 1 to be eligible to expand in the next 
50.20 	school year. The supplementary affidavit must document that the school has demonstrated 
50.21 	to the satisfaction of the authorizer the following:
50.22 	(1) the need for the expansion with supporting long-range enrollment projections;
50.23 	(2) a longitudinal record of demonstrated student academic performance and growth 
50.24 	on statewide assessments under chapter 120B or on other academic assessments that 
50.25 	measure longitudinal student performance and growth approved by the charter school's 
50.26 	board of directors and agreed upon with the authorizer;
50.27 	(3) a history of sound school finances and a finance plan to implement the expansion 
50.28 	in a manner to promote the school's financial sustainability; and
50.29 	(4) board capacity and an administrative and management plan to implement its 
50.30 	expansion.
50.31 	(k) The commissioner shall have 30 business days to review and comment on the 
50.32 	supplemental affidavit. The commissioner shall notify the authorizer in writing of any 
50.33 	deficiencies in the supplemental affidavit and the authorizer then has 20 business days to 
50.34 	address, to the commissioner's satisfaction, any deficiencies in the supplemental affidavit. 
50.35 	The commissioner must notify the authorizer of final approval or disapproval within 15 
50.36 	business days after receiving the authorizer's response to the deficiencies in the affidavit. 
51.1 	The school may not expand grades or add sites until the commissioner has approved the 
51.2 	supplemental affidavit. The commissioner's approval or disapproval of a supplemental 
51.3 	affidavit is final.

51.4 	Sec. 36. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.10, subdivision 8, is amended to read:
51.5 		Subd. 8.Federal, state, and local requirements. (a) A charter school shall meet all 
51.6 	federal, state, and local health and safety requirements applicable to school districts.
51.7 	(b) A school must comply with statewide accountability requirements governing 
51.8 	standards and assessments in chapter 120B.
51.9 	(c) A school authorized by a school board may be located in any district, unless the 
51.10 	school board of the district of the proposed location disapproves by written resolution.
51.11 	(d) A charter school must be nonsectarian in its programs, admission policies, 
51.12 	employment practices, and all other operations. An authorizer may not authorize a charter 
51.13 	school or program that is affiliated with a nonpublic sectarian school or a religious 
51.14 	institution. A charter school student must be released for religious instruction, consistent 
51.15 	with section 120A.22, subdivision 12, clause (3).
51.16 	(e) Charter schools must not be used as a method of providing education or 
51.17 	generating revenue for students who are being home-schooled. This paragraph does not 
51.18 	apply to shared time aid under section 126C.19.
51.19 	(f) The primary focus of a charter school must be to provide a comprehensive 
51.20 	program of instruction for at least one grade or age group from five through 18 years of 
51.21 	age. Instruction may be provided to people older than 18 years of age. A charter school 
51.22 	may offer a free or fee-based preschool or prekindergarten that meets high-quality early 
51.23 	learning instructional program standards that are aligned with Minnesota's early learning 
51.24 	standards for children. Students enrolled in a fee-based prekindergarten program are not 
51.25 	eligible to be counted as pupil units under section 126C.05 and must not be included in the 
51.26 	calculation of general education revenue under section 126C.10.
51.27 	(g) Except as provided in paragraph (f), a charter school may not charge tuition.
51.28 	(h) A charter school is subject to and must comply with chapter 363A and section 
51.29 	121A.04.
51.30 	(i) Once a student is enrolled in the school, the student is considered enrolled in the 
51.31 	school until the student formally withdraws or is expelled under the Pupil Fair Dismissal 
51.32 	Act in sections 121A.40 to 121A.56. A charter school is subject to and must comply with 
51.33 	the Pupil Fair Dismissal Act, sections 121A.40 to 121A.56, and the Minnesota Public 
51.34 	School Fee Law, sections 123B.34 to 123B.39.
52.1 	(j) A charter school is subject to the same financial audits, audit procedures, and 
52.2 	audit requirements as a district, except as required under subdivision 6a. Audits must be 
52.3 	conducted in compliance with generally accepted governmental auditing standards, the 
52.4 	federal Single Audit Act, if applicable, and section 6.65. A charter school is subject 
52.5 	to and must comply with sections 15.054; 118A.01; 118A.02; 118A.03; 118A.04; 
52.6 	118A.05; 118A.06; 471.38; 471.391; 471.392; and 471.425. The audit must comply with 
52.7 	the requirements of sections 123B.75 to 123B.83, except to the extent deviations are 
52.8 	necessary because of the program at the school. Deviations must be approved by the 
52.9 	commissioner and authorizer. The Department of Education, state auditor, legislative 
52.10 	auditor, or authorizer may conduct financial, program, or compliance audits. A charter 
52.11 	school determined to be in statutory operating debt under sections 123B.81 to 123B.83 
52.12 	must submit a plan under section 123B.81, subdivision 4.
52.13 	(k) A charter school is a district for the purposes of tort liability under chapter 466.
52.14 	(l) A charter school must comply with chapters 13 and 13D; and sections 120A.22, 
52.15 	subdivision 7; 121A.75; and 260B.171, subdivisions 3 and 5.
52.16 	(m) A charter school is subject to the Pledge of Allegiance requirement under 
52.17 	section 121A.11, subdivision 3.
52.18 	(n) A charter school offering online courses or programs must comply with section 
52.19 	124D.095.
52.20 	(o) A charter school and charter school board of directors are subject to chapter 181.
52.21 	(p) A charter school must comply with section 120A.22, subdivision 7, governing 
52.22 	the transfer of students' educational records and sections 138.163 and 138.17 governing 
52.23 	the management of local records.
52.24 	(q) A charter school that provides early childhood health and developmental 
52.25 	screening must comply with sections 121A.16 to 121A.19.
52.26 	(r) A charter school that provides school-sponsored youth athletic activities must 
52.27 	comply with section 121A.38.
52.28 	(s) A charter school is subject to and must comply with continuing truant notification 
52.29 	under section 260A.03.
52.30 	(t) A charter school must develop and implement a teacher evaluation and peer 
52.31 	review process under section 122A.40, subdivision 8, paragraph (b), clauses (2) to 
52.32 	(13). The teacher evaluation process in this paragraph does not create any additional 
52.33 	employment rights for teachers.
52.34 	(u) A charter school must adopt a policy, plan, budget, and process, consistent with 
52.35 	section 120B.11, to review curriculum, instruction, and student achievement and strive 
52.36 	for the world's best workforce.
53.1 	(v) A charter school must comply with section 121A.031 governing policies on 
53.2 	prohibited conduct.
53.3 	(w) A charter school must comply with all pupil transportation requirements in 
53.4 	section 123B.88, subdivision 1. A charter school must not require parents to surrender 
53.5 	their rights to pupil transportation under section 123B.88, subdivision 2.

53.6 	Sec. 37. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.10, subdivision 9, is amended to read:
53.7 		Subd. 9.Admission requirements. (a) A charter school may limit admission to:
53.8 	(1) pupils within an age group or grade level;
53.9 	(2) pupils who are eligible to participate in the graduation incentives program under 
53.10 	section 124D.68; or
53.11 	(3) residents of a specific geographic area in which the school is located when the 
53.12 	majority of students served by the school are members of underserved populations.
53.13 	(b) A charter school shall enroll an eligible pupil who submits a timely application, 
53.14 	unless the number of applications exceeds the capacity of a program, class, grade level, or 
53.15 	building. In this case, pupils must be accepted by lot. The charter school must develop 
53.16 	and publish, including on its Web site, a lottery policy and process that it must use when 
53.17 	accepting pupils by lot.
53.18 	(c) A charter school shall give enrollment preference to a sibling of an enrolled pupil 
53.19 	and to a foster child of that pupil's parents and may give preference for enrolling children 
53.20 	of the school's staff before accepting other pupils by lot. A charter school may give 
53.21 	enrollment preference to children who are eligible to receive a free or reduced-price lunch 
53.22 	when the percent of enrolled charter school students who are eligible to receive a free or 
53.23 	reduced-price lunch is lower than either the statewide percent of students who are eligible 
53.24 	to receive a free or reduced-price lunch or the district-wide percent of students who are 
53.25 	eligible to receive a free or reduced-price lunch in the district in which the charter school 
53.26 	is located. A charter school must ask on its enrollment application whether the student 
53.27 	is eligible for and interested in the enrollment preference. A charter school may send an 
53.28 	Application for Educational Benefits form to the household of an interested student and 
53.29 	ask on the application form whether the household wants their student considered for the 
53.30 	enrollment preference. Charter schools must use the department's direct certification and 
53.31 	approval process for determining students' eligibility for meal benefits. Once established, 
53.32 	this enrollment preference continues unless and until a majority of the members of the 
53.33 	charter school board of directors votes to discontinue the enrollment preference. A charter 
53.34 	school that complies with the enrollment preference based on eligibility to receive a free 
53.35 	or reduced-price lunch in good faith is not responsible for misinformation provided to it 
54.1 	by parents under this provision. A charter school that is located in Duluth township in St. 
54.2 	Louis County and admits students in kindergarten through grade 6 must give enrollment 
54.3 	preference to students residing within a five-mile radius of the school and to the siblings 
54.4 	of enrolled children. A If a charter school has a preschool or prekindergarten program 
54.5 	under subdivision 8, paragraph (f), that is free to all participants, the charter school may 
54.6 	give enrollment preference to children currently enrolled in the school's free preschool or 
54.7 	prekindergarten program under subdivision 8, paragraph (f), who are eligible to enroll in 
54.8 	kindergarten in the next school year.
54.9 	(d) A person shall not be admitted to a charter school (1) as a kindergarten pupil, 
54.10 	unless the pupil is at least five years of age on September 1 of the calendar year in which 
54.11 	the school year for which the pupil seeks admission commences; or (2) as a first grade 
54.12 	student, unless the pupil is at least six years of age on September 1 of the calendar year in 
54.13 	which the school year for which the pupil seeks admission commences or has completed 
54.14 	kindergarten; except that a charter school may establish and publish on its Web site a policy 
54.15 	for admission of selected pupils at an earlier age, consistent with the enrollment process 
54.16 	in paragraphs (b) and (c). If established, an early admissions policy must describe the 
54.17 	process and procedures for comprehensive evaluation in cognitive, social, and emotional 
54.18 	developmental domains to help determine the child's ability to meet kindergarten grade 
54.19 	expectations and progress to first grade in the subsequent year. The comprehensive 
54.20 	evaluation must use valid and reliable instrumentation, be aligned with state kindergarten 
54.21 	expectations, and include a parent report and teacher observations of the child's 
54.22 	knowledge, skills, and abilities. The early admissions policy must be made available to 
54.23 	parents in an accessible format and is subject to review by the commissioner of education.
54.24 	(e) Except as permitted in paragraph (d), a charter school may not limit admission 
54.25 	to pupils on the basis of intellectual ability, measures of achievement or aptitude, or 
54.26 	athletic ability and may not establish any criteria or requirements for admission that are 
54.27 	inconsistent with this subdivision.
54.28 	(f) The charter school shall not distribute any services or goods of value to students, 
54.29 	parents, or guardians as an inducement, term, or condition of enrolling a student in a 
54.30 	charter school.

54.31 	Sec. 38. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.10, subdivision 10, is amended to read:
54.32 		Subd. 10.Pupil performance. (a) A charter school must design its programs to 
54.33 	at least meet the outcomes adopted by the commissioner for public school students. In 
54.34 	the absence of the commissioner's requirements, the school must meet the outcomes 
54.35 	contained in the contract with the authorizer. The achievement levels of the outcomes 
55.1 	contained in the contract may exceed the achievement levels of any outcomes adopted by 
55.2 	the commissioner for public school students.
55.3 	(b) Notwithstanding other law to the contrary, a charter school where at least 70 
55.4 	percent of enrolled pupils are eligible to participate in the graduation incentives program 
55.5 	under section 124D.68 or where the charter school contract limits admission to pupils 
55.6 	eligible to participate in the graduation incentives program under section 124D.68 is 
55.7 	subject to statewide accountability measures applicable to public schools under chapter 
55.8 	120B, but consistent with the alternative measures established under this paragraph 
55.9 	and Minnesota Graduation Standards. For eligible schools, the written charter contract 
55.10 	under subdivision 6 between the charter school authorizer and the school's board of 
55.11 	directors shall be based on the student academic, career and college readiness, and student 
55.12 	engagement performance measures established under this paragraph.
55.13 	(1) Thirty percent of any performance evaluation of a charter school under this 
55.14 	paragraph shall be based on longitudinal data showing student achievement and growth 
55.15 	on a nationally or state-normed assessment for groups of ten or more students who 
55.16 	are continuously enrolled in the charter school for at least 120 school days before the 
55.17 	assessment is administered.
55.18 	(2) Forty percent of any student performance evaluation of a charter school under 
55.19 	this paragraph shall be based on demonstrated growth in any four of the following 
55.20 	postsecondary and workforce readiness measures, as stipulated in the charter school 
55.21 	contract and demonstrated by the requisite evidence: a three-year average graduation rate 
55.22 	for students who complete high school in four, five, or six years; a three-year graduation 
55.23 	rate for noncontinuously enrolled students who complete high school in seven years; 
55.24 	average student drop-out rate for students who leave the charter school in a single year 
55.25 	without pursuing an education alternative; the participation rate and composite score of 
55.26 	those students in a school year taking a national postsecondary or workforce readiness 
55.27 	assessment such as the ACT, PSAT, SAT, ACCUPLACER, or ASVAB; the percentage of 
55.28 	students in the 12th grade cohort as identified by the number of completed course credits 
55.29 	at the beginning of the school year who graduate within that school year; the percentage 
55.30 	of students in a school year who successfully transfer to another education program, 
55.31 	including those leading to a diploma, credential or degree, or care and treatment program; 
55.32 	the percentage of students in the previous school year who complete an education 
55.33 	program, receive a diploma, enroll in a postsecondary program or institution, enlist in the 
55.34 	military, or obtain full-time employment; the percentage of students in a school year 
55.35 	who successfully complete the number of course credits they need to stay on track to 
55.36 	graduate within an established timeline; the percentage of students in a school year who 
56.1 	successfully meet work certification or preapprenticeship program requirements; or the 
56.2 	percentage of students in a school year who earn dual enrollment credits through the 
56.3 	Postsecondary Enrollment Options Act or other dual credit program.
56.4 	(3) Thirty percent of any student performance evaluation of a charter school under 
56.5 	this paragraph shall be based on data from any three of the following student engagement 
56.6 	measures applied to groups of ten or more students who are continuously enrolled in 
56.7 	the charter school for at least 120 days: a three-year average daily attendance rate; a 
56.8 	demonstrated percentage improvement in attendance by a cohort; a three-year average of 
56.9 	the total number of days students are reported as truant; the number of student dropouts 
56.10 	who enroll in the school and remain continuously enrolled throughout that school year; 
56.11 	the percentage of students in a school year or a 12-month period who participate in 
56.12 	and demonstrate growth on character and social competency assessments measuring 
56.13 	decision-making skills, career readiness, education or aspiration goals, and similar 
56.14 	characteristics or competencies; and the percentage of students in a school year who meet 
56.15 	the community service goals in their individual learning plan as measured by the charter 
56.16 	school's citizenship and community outcomes rubric.

56.17 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for the 2016-2017 school year and 
56.18 	later.

56.19 	Sec. 39. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.10, subdivision 12, is amended to read:
56.20 		Subd. 12.Pupils with a disability. A charter school must comply with sections 
56.21 	125A.02, 125A.03 to 125A.24, and125A.65, and 125A.75 and rules relating to the 
56.22 	education of pupils with a disability as though it were a district.

56.23 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for fiscal year 2016 and later.

56.24 	Sec. 40. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.10, subdivision 14, is amended to read:
56.25 		Subd. 14.Annual public reports. (a) A charter school must publish an annual 
56.26 	report approved by the board of directors. The annual report must at least include 
56.27 	information on school enrollment, student attrition, governance and management, staffing, 
56.28 	finances, academic performance, innovative practices and implementation, and future 
56.29 	plans. A charter school may combine this report with the reporting required under section 
56.30 	120B.11. A charter school must post the annual report on the school's official Web site. A 
56.31 	charter school must also distribute the annual report by publication, mail, or electronic 
56.32 	means to its authorizer, school employees, and parents and legal guardians of students 
56.33 	enrolled in the charter school. The reports are public data under chapter 13.
57.1 	(b) The commissioner shall establish specifications for an authorizer's annual public 
57.2 	report that is part of the system to evaluate authorizer performance under subdivision 
57.3 	3, paragraph (h). The report shall at least include key indicators of school academic, 
57.4 	operational, and financial performance.

57.5 	Sec. 41. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.10, is amended by adding a 
57.6 	subdivision to read:
57.7 		Subd. 24a.Merger. (a) Two or more charter schools may merge under chapter 
57.8 	317A. The effective date of a merger must be July 1. The merged school must continue 
57.9 	under the identity of one of the merging schools. A new charter contract under subdivision 
57.10 	6 must be executed by July 1. The authorizer must submit to the commissioner a copy of 
57.11 	the new signed charter contract within ten business days of its execution.
57.12 	(b) Each merging school must submit a separate year-end report for the previous year 
57.13 	for that school only. After the final fiscal year of the premerger schools is closed out, the 
57.14 	fund balances and debts from the merging schools must be transferred to the merged school.
57.15 	(c) For its first year of operation, the merged school is eligible to receive aid from 
57.16 	programs requiring approved applications equal to the sum of the aid of all of the merging 
57.17 	schools. For aids based on prior year data, the merged school is eligible to receive aid for 
57.18 	its first year of operation based on the combined data of all of the merging schools.

57.19 	Sec. 42. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.121, is amended to read:
57.20 	124D.121 DEFINITION OF FLEXIBLE LEARNING YEAR PROGRAM.
57.21 	"Flexible learning year program" means any district plan approved by the 
57.22 	commissioner that utilizes buildings and facilities during the entire year or that provides 
57.23 	forms of optional scheduling of pupils and personnel during the learning year in 
57.24 	elementary and secondary schools or residential facilities for children with a disability.

57.25 	Sec. 43. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.122, is amended to read:
57.26 	124D.122 ESTABLISHMENT OF FLEXIBLE LEARNING YEAR PROGRAM.
57.27 	The board of any district or a consortium of districts, with the approval of the 
57.28 	commissioner, may establish and operate a flexible learning year program in one or more of 
57.29 	the day or residential facilities for children with a disability within the district. Consortiums 
57.30 	may use a single application and evaluation process, though results, public hearings, and 
57.31 	board approvals must be obtained for each district as required under appropriate sections.

57.32 	Sec. 44. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.126, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
58.1 		Subdivision 1.Powers and duties. The commissioner must:
58.2 	(1) promulgate rules necessary to the operation of sections 124D.12 to 124D.127;
58.3 	(2) (1) cooperate with and provide supervision of flexible learning year programs 
58.4 	to determine compliance with the provisions of sections 124D.12 to 124D.127, the 
58.5 	commissioner's standards and qualifications, and the proposed program as submitted 
58.6 	and approved;
58.7 	(3) (2) provide any necessary adjustments of (a) attendance and membership 
58.8 	computations and (b) the dates and percentages of apportionment of state aids; and
58.9 	(4) (3) consistent with the definition of "average daily membership" in section 
58.10 	126C.05, subdivision 8, furnish the board of a district implementing a flexible learning 
58.11 	year program with a formula for computing average daily membership. This formula must 
58.12 	be computed so that tax levies to be made by the district, state aids to be received by the 
58.13 	district, and any and all other formulas based upon average daily membership are not 
58.14 	affected solely as a result of adopting this plan of instruction.

58.15 	Sec. 45. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.127, is amended to read:
58.16 	124D.127 TERMINATION OF FLEXIBLE LEARNING YEAR PROGRAM.
58.17 	The board of any district, with the approval of the commissioner of education, may 
58.18 	terminate a flexible learning year program in one or more of the day or residential facilities 
58.19 	for children with a disability within the district. This section shall not be construed to 
58.20 	permit an exception to section 120A.22, 127A.41, subdivision 7, or 127A.43.

58.21 	Sec. 46. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.128, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
58.22 		Subdivision 1.Program established. A learning year program provides instruction 
58.23 	throughout the year on an extended year calendar, extended school day calendar, or 
58.24 	both. A pupil may participate in the program and accelerate attainment of grade level 
58.25 	requirements or graduation requirements. A learning year program may begin after the 
58.26 	close of the regular school year in June. The program may be for students in one or more 
58.27 	grade levels from kindergarten through grade 12.

58.28 	Sec. 47. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.72, is amended to read:
58.29 	124D.72 POLICY.
58.30 	The legislature finds that a more adequate and relevant education is needed for 
58.31 	American Indian people in the state of Minnesota. The legislature recognizes the 
58.32 	unique educational and culturally related academic needs of American Indian people. 
58.33 	The legislature also is concerned about the lack of American Indian teachers as well as 
59.1 	other professionals in the state. Therefore, pursuant to the policy of the state to ensure 
59.2 	equal educational opportunity to every individual, it is the purpose of sections 124D.71
59.3 	to 124D.82 to provide for American Indian education programs specially specifically 
59.4 	designed to meet these unique educational or culturally related academic needs or both.

59.5 	Sec. 48. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.73, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
59.6 		Subd. 3.Advisory task force Tribal Nations Education Committee. "Advisory 
59.7 	task force" "Tribal Nations Education Committee" means the state advisory task force 
59.8 	committee established through tribal directive that the commissioner seeks consultation 
59.9 	with on American Indian education programs, policy, and all matters pertaining to the 
59.10 	education of Minnesota's American Indian students.

59.11 	Sec. 49. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.73, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
59.12 		Subd. 4.Participating school; American Indian school. "Participating school" 
59.13 	and "American Indian school" mean a school that:
59.14 	(1) is not operated by a school district; and
59.15 	(2) is eligible for a grant under federal Title IV of the Indian VII of the Elementary 
59.16 	and Secondary Education Act for the education of American Indian children.

59.17 	Sec. 50. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.73, is amended by adding a 
59.18 	subdivision to read:
59.19 		Subd. 5.Public school designation. For purposes of membership in professional 
59.20 	organizations or associations, participating schools as defined in subdivision 4 are 
59.21 	considered to be public schools.

59.22 	Sec. 51. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.74, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
59.23 		Subdivision 1.Program described. American Indian education programs are 
59.24 	programs in public elementary and secondary schools, nonsectarian nonpublic, community, 
59.25 	tribal, charter, or alternative schools enrolling American Indian children designed to:
59.26 	(1) support postsecondary preparation for pupils;
59.27 	(2) support the academic achievement of American Indian students with identified 
59.28 	focus to improve reading and mathematic skills;
59.29 	(3) make the curriculum more relevant to the needs, interests, indigenous language, 
59.30 	and cultural heritage of American Indian pupils;
59.31 	(4) provide positive reinforcement of the self-image of American Indian pupils;
59.32 	(5) develop intercultural awareness among pupils, parents, and staff; and
60.1 	(6) supplement, not supplant, state and federal educational and cocurricular programs.
60.2 	Program components may include: development of support components for students 
60.3 	services designed to increase completion and graduation rates of American Indian 
60.4 	students must include emphasis in the areas of academic achievement, retention, and 
60.5 	attendance; development of support components services for staff, including in-service 
60.6 	training and technical assistance in methods of teaching American Indian pupils; research 
60.7 	projects, including experimentation with innovative teaching approaches and evaluation 
60.8 	of methods of relating to American Indian pupils; provision of personal and vocational 
60.9 	career counseling to American Indian pupils; modification of curriculum, instructional 
60.10 	methods, and administrative procedures to meet the needs of American Indian pupils; and 
60.11 	supplemental instruction in American Indian language, literature, history, and culture. 
60.12 	Districts offering programs may make contracts for the provision of program components 
60.13 	services by establishing cooperative liaisons with tribal programs and American Indian 
60.14 	social service agencies. These programs may also be provided as components of early 
60.15 	childhood and family education programs.

60.16 	Sec. 52. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.74, subdivision 6, is amended to read:
60.17 		Subd. 6.Nonverbal courses and extracurricular activities. In predominantly 
60.18 	nonverbal subjects, such as art, music, and physical education, American Indian children 
60.19 	shall participate fully and on an equal basis with their contemporaries peers in school 
60.20 	classes provided for these subjects. Every school district or participating school shall 
60.21 	ensure to children enrolled in American Indian education programs an equal and 
60.22 	meaningful opportunity to participate fully with other children in all extracurricular 
60.23 	activities. This subdivision shall not be construed to prohibit instruction in nonverbal 
60.24 	subjects or extracurricular activities which relate to the cultural heritage of the American 
60.25 	Indian children, or which are otherwise necessary to accomplish the objectives described 
60.26 	in sections 124D.71 to 124D.82.

60.27 	Sec. 53. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.75, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
60.28 		Subdivision 1.American Indian language and culture education licenses. The 
60.29 	Board of Teaching, in consultation with the Tribal Nations Education Committee, must 
60.30 	grant initial and continuing teaching licenses in American Indian language and culture 
60.31 	education that bear the same duration as other initial and continuing licenses. The board 
60.32 	must grant licenses to persons who present satisfactory evidence that they:
61.1 	(1) possess competence in an American Indian language or possess unique 
61.2 	qualifications relative to or knowledge and understanding of American Indian history 
61.3 	and culture; or
61.4 	(2) possess a bachelor's degree or other academic degree approved by the board or 
61.5 	meet such requirements as to course of study and training as the board may prescribe, or 
61.6 	possess such relevant experience as the board may prescribe.
61.7 	This evidence may be presented by affidavits, tribal resolutions, or by such other 
61.8 	methods as the board may prescribe. Individuals may present applications for licensure on 
61.9 	their own behalf or these applications may be submitted by the superintendent or other 
61.10 	authorized official of a school district, participating school, or an American Indian school.

61.11 	Sec. 54. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.75, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
61.12 		Subd. 2.Persons holding general teaching licenses. A person holding a general 
61.13 	teaching license who presents the board with satisfactory evidence of competence in an 
61.14 	American Indian language, or deep knowledge and understanding of American Indian 
61.15 	history and culture may be licensed under this section.

61.16 	Sec. 55. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.75, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
61.17 		Subd. 3.Resolution or letter. All persons applying for a license under this section 
61.18 	must submit to the board a resolution or letter of support signed by an American Indian 
61.19 	tribal government or its designee. All persons holding a license under this section on July 
61.20 	1, 1995, must have on file or file with the board a resolution or letter of support signed by 
61.21 	a tribal government or its designee by January 1, 1996, or the next renewal date of the 
61.22 	license thereafter.

61.23 	Sec. 56. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.75, subdivision 9, is amended to read:
61.24 		Subd. 9.Affirmative efforts in hiring. In hiring for all positions in these programs, 
61.25 	school districts and participating schools shall give preference to and make affirmative 
61.26 	efforts to seek, recruit, and employ persons who share the culture of the American Indian 
61.27 	children who are enrolled in the program. The district or participating school shall must 
61.28 	provide procedures for the involvement of the parent advisory committees in designing 
61.29 	the procedures for the recruitment, screening and selection of applicants. This subdivision 
61.30 	shall not be construed to limit the school board's authority to hire and discharge personnel.

62.1 	Sec. 57. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.76, is amended to read:
62.2 	124D.76 TEACHERS AIDES; COMMUNITY COORDINATORS, INDIAN 
62.3 	HOME/SCHOOL LIAISONS, PARAPROFESSIONALS.
62.4 	In addition to employing American Indian language and culture education teachers, 
62.5 	each district or participating school providing programs pursuant to sections 124D.71 to 
62.6 	124D.82 may employ teachers' aides paraprofessionals. Teachers' aides Paraprofessionals 
62.7 	must not be employed for the purpose of supplanting American Indian language and 
62.8 	culture education teachers.
62.9 	Any district or participating school which conducts American Indian education 
62.10 	programs pursuant to sections 124D.71 to 124D.82 must employ one or more full-time 
62.11 	or part-time community coordinators or Indian home/school liaisons if there are 100 or 
62.12 	more American Indian students enrolled in the program district. Community coordinators 
62.13 	shall promote communication understanding, and cooperation between the schools and the 
62.14 	community and shall visit the homes of children who are to be enrolled in an American 
62.15 	Indian education program in order to convey information about the program.

62.16 	Sec. 58. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.78, is amended to read:
62.17 	124D.78 PARENT AND COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION.
62.18 		Subdivision 1.Parent committee. School boards and American Indian schools 
62.19 	must provide for the maximum involvement of parents of children enrolled in education 
62.20 	programs, programs for elementary and secondary grades, special education programs, 
62.21 	and support services. Accordingly, the board of a school district in which there are ten 
62.22 	or more American Indian children students enrolled and each American Indian school 
62.23 	must establish a an American Indian education parent advisory committee. If a committee 
62.24 	whose membership consists of a majority of parents of American Indian children has been 
62.25 	or is established according to federal, tribal, or other state law, that committee may serve 
62.26 	as the committee required by this section and is subject to, at least, the requirements of 
62.27 	this subdivision and subdivision 2.
62.28 	The American Indian education parent advisory committee must develop its 
62.29 	recommendations in consultation with the curriculum advisory committee required by 
62.30 	section 120B.11, subdivision 3. This committee must afford parents the necessary 
62.31 	information and the opportunity effectively to express their views concerning all aspects 
62.32 	of American Indian education and the educational needs of the American Indian children 
62.33 	enrolled in the school or program. The committee must also address the need for adult 
62.34 	education programs for American Indian people in the community. The school board or 
62.35 	American Indian school must ensure that programs are planned, operated, and evaluated 
63.1 	with the involvement of and in consultation with parents of children students served by 
63.2 	the programs.
63.3 		Subd. 2.Resolution of concurrence. Prior to December March 1, the school 
63.4 	board or American Indian school must submit to the department a copy of a resolution 
63.5 	adopted by the American Indian education parent advisory committee. The copy must be 
63.6 	signed by the chair of the committee and must state whether the committee concurs with 
63.7 	the educational programs for American Indian children students offered by the school 
63.8 	board or American Indian school. If the committee does not concur with the educational 
63.9 	programs, the reasons for nonconcurrence and recommendations shall be submitted with 
63.10 	the resolution. By resolution, the board must respond in writing within 60 days, in cases 
63.11 	of nonconcurrence, to each recommendation made by the committee and state its reasons 
63.12 	for not implementing the recommendations.
63.13 		Subd. 3.Membership. The American Indian education parent advisory committee 
63.14 	must be composed of parents of children eligible to be enrolled in American Indian 
63.15 	education programs; secondary students eligible to be served; American Indian language 
63.16 	and culture education teachers and aides paraprofessionals; American Indian teachers; 
63.17 	counselors; adult American Indian people enrolled in educational programs; and 
63.18 	representatives from community groups. A majority of each committee must be parents 
63.19 	of children enrolled or eligible to be enrolled in the programs. The number of parents 
63.20 	of American Indian and non-American Indian children shall reflect approximately the 
63.21 	proportion of children of those groups enrolled in the programs.
63.22 		Subd. 4.Alternate committee. If the organizational membership or the board 
63.23 	of directors of an American Indian school consists of parents of children attending the 
63.24 	school, that membership or board may serve also as the American Indian education parent 
63.25 	advisory committee.

63.26 	Sec. 59. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.79, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
63.27 		Subdivision 1.American Indian community involvement. The commissioner 
63.28 	must provide for the maximum involvement of the state committees on American Indian 
63.29 	education Tribal Nations Education Committee, parents of American Indian children, 
63.30 	secondary students eligible to be served, American Indian language and culture education 
63.31 	teachers, American Indian teachers, teachers' aides paraprofessionals, representatives of 
63.32 	community groups, and persons knowledgeable in the field of American Indian education, 
63.33 	in the formulation of policy and procedures relating to the administration of sections 
63.34 	124D.71 to 124D.82. The commissioner must annually hold a field hearing on Indian 
63.35 	education to gather input from American Indian educators, parents, and students on the 
64.1 	state of American Indian education in Minnesota. Results of the hearing must be made 
64.2 	available to all 11 tribal nations for review and comment.

64.3 	Sec. 60. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.79, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
64.4 		Subd. 2.Technical assistance. The commissioner shall provide technical assistance 
64.5 	to districts, schools and postsecondary institutions for preservice and in-service training 
64.6 	for teachers, American Indian education teachers and teacher's aides, paraprofessionals 
64.7 	specifically designed to implement culturally responsive teaching methods, culturally 
64.8 	based curriculum development, testing and testing mechanisms, and the development of 
64.9 	materials for American Indian education programs.

64.10 	Sec. 61. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.791, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
64.11 		Subd. 4.Duties; powers. The Indian education director shall:
64.12 	(1) serve as the liaison for the department with the Tribal Nations Education 
64.13 	Committee, the 11 reservations tribal communities in Minnesota, the Minnesota Chippewa 
64.14 	tribe, and the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, and the Urban Advisory Council;
64.15 	(2) evaluate the state of American Indian education in Minnesota;
64.16 	(3) engage the tribal bodies, community groups, parents of children eligible to be 
64.17 	served by American Indian education programs, American Indian administrators and 
64.18 	teachers, persons experienced in the training of teachers for American Indian education 
64.19 	programs, the tribally controlled schools, and other persons knowledgeable in the field of 
64.20 	American Indian education and seek their advice on policies that can improve the quality 
64.21 	of American Indian education;
64.22 	(4) advise the commissioner on American Indian education issues, including:
64.23 	(i) issues facing American Indian students;
64.24 	(ii) policies for American Indian education;
64.25 	(iii) awarding scholarships to eligible American Indian students and in administering 
64.26 	the commissioner's duties regarding awarding of American Indian postsecondary 
64.27 	preparationeducation grants to school districts; and
64.28 	(iv) administration of the commissioner's duties under sections 124D.71 to 124D.82 
64.29 	and other programs for the education of American Indian people;
64.30 	(5) propose to the commissioner legislative changes that will improve the quality 
64.31 	of American Indian education;
64.32 	(6) develop a strategic plan and a long-term framework for American Indian 
64.33 	education, in conjunction with the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, that is updated every 
64.34 	five years and implemented by the commissioner, with goals to:
65.1 	(i) increase American Indian student achievement, including increased levels of 
65.2 	proficiency and growth on statewide accountability assessments;
65.3 	(ii) increase the number of American Indian teachers in public schools;
65.4 	(iii) close the achievement gap between American Indian students and their more 
65.5 	advantaged peers;
65.6 	(iv) increase the statewide graduation rate for American Indian students; and
65.7 	(v) increase American Indian student placement in postsecondary programs and 
65.8 	the workforce; and
65.9 	(7) keep the American Indian community informed about the work of the department 
65.10 	by reporting to the Tribal Nations Education Committee at each committee meeting.

65.11 	Sec. 62. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.98, is amended to read:
65.12 	124D.98 LITERACY INCENTIVE AID.
65.13 		Subdivision 1.Literacy incentive aid. In fiscal year 2013 and later, A district's 
65.14 	literacy incentive aid equals the sum of the proficiency aid under subdivision 2, and the 
65.15 	growth aid under subdivision 3.
65.16 		Subd. 2.Proficiency aid. In fiscal year 2013 and later, The proficiency aid for 
65.17 	each school in a district that has submitted to the commissioner its local literacy plan 
65.18 	under section 120B.12, subdivision 4a, is equal to the product of the school's proficiency 
65.19 	allowance times the number of third grade pupils at the school on October 1 of the previous 
65.20 	fiscal year. A school's proficiency allowance is equal to the percentage of students in 
65.21 	each building that meet or exceed proficiency on the third grade reading Minnesota 
65.22 	Comprehensive Assessment, averaged across the previous three test administrations, 
65.23 	times $530.
65.24 		Subd. 3.Growth aid. In fiscal year 2013 and later, The growth aid for each school 
65.25 	in a district that has submitted to the commissioner its local literacy plan under section 
65.26 	120B.12, subdivision 4a, is equal to the product of the school's growth allowance times 
65.27 	the number of fourth grade pupils enrolled at the school on October 1 of the previous 
65.28 	fiscal year. A school's growth allowance is equal to the percentage of students at that 
65.29 	school making medium or high growth, under section 120B.299, on the fourth grade 
65.30 	reading Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment, averaged across the previous three test 
65.31 	administrations, times $530.

65.32 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for fiscal year 2016 and later.

66.1 	Sec. 63. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 125A.01, is amended to read:
66.2 	125A.01 DEFINITIONS.
66.3 		Subdivision 1.General application. For purposes of this chapter, the words defined 
66.4 	in section 120A.05 have the same meaning.
66.5 		Subd. 2.Dyslexia. "Dyslexia" means a specific learning disability that is 
66.6 	neurological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate or fluent recognition 
66.7 	of words and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result 
66.8 	from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in 
66.9 	relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. 
66.10 	Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced 
66.11 	reading experience that can impede the growth of vocabulary and background knowledge. 
66.12 	A diagnosis of dyslexia must not be the sole basis for qualification for special education 
66.13 	services under this chapter.

66.14 	Sec. 64. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 126C.15, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
66.15 		Subdivision 1.Use of revenue. The basic skills revenue under section 126C.10, 
66.16 	subdivision 4, must be reserved and used to meet the educational needs of pupils who 
66.17 	enroll under-prepared to learn and whose progress toward meeting state or local content 
66.18 	or performance standards is below the level that is appropriate for learners of their age. 
66.19 	Basic skills revenue may also be used for programs designed to prepare children and their 
66.20 	families for entry into school whether the student first enrolls in kindergarten or first grade. 
66.21 	Any of the following may be provided to meet these learners' needs:
66.22 	(1) direct instructional services under the assurance of mastery program according 
66.23 	to section 124D.66;
66.24 	(2) remedial instruction in reading, language arts, mathematics, other content areas, 
66.25 	or study skills to improve the achievement level of these learners;
66.26 	(3) additional teachers and teacher aides to provide more individualized instruction 
66.27 	to these learners through individual tutoring, lower instructor-to-learner ratios, or team 
66.28 	teaching;
66.29 	(4) a longer school day or week during the regular school year or through a summer 
66.30 	program that may be offered directly by the site or under a performance-based contract 
66.31 	with a community-based organization;
66.32 	(5) comprehensive and ongoing staff development consistent with district and site 
66.33 	plans according to section 122A.60 and to implement plans under section 120B.12, 
66.34 	subdivision 4a, for teachers, teacher aides, principals, and other personnel to improve 
67.1 	their ability to identify the needs of these learners and provide appropriate remediation, 
67.2 	intervention, accommodations, or modifications;
67.3 	(6) instructional materials, digital learning, and technology appropriate for meeting 
67.4 	the individual needs of these learners;
67.5 	(7) programs to reduce truancy, encourage completion of high school, enhance 
67.6 	self-concept, provide health services, provide nutrition services, provide a safe and secure 
67.7 	learning environment, provide coordination for pupils receiving services from other 
67.8 	governmental agencies, provide psychological services to determine the level of social, 
67.9 	emotional, cognitive, and intellectual development, and provide counseling services, 
67.10 	guidance services, and social work services;
67.11 	(8) bilingual programs, bicultural programs, and programs for English learners;
67.12 	(9) all-day kindergarten;
67.13 	(10) early education programs, parent-training programs, school readiness programs, 
67.14 	kindergarten programs for four-year-olds, voluntary home visits under section 124D.13, 
67.15 	subdivision 4, and other outreach efforts designed to prepare children for kindergarten;
67.16 	(11) extended school day and extended school year programs; and
67.17 	(12) substantial parent involvement in developing and implementing remedial 
67.18 	education or intervention plans for a learner, including learning contracts between the 
67.19 	school, the learner, and the parent that establish achievement goals and responsibilities of 
67.20 	the learner and the learner's parent or guardian.

67.21 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for fiscal year 2016 and later.

67.22 	Sec. 65. Laws 2014, chapter 312, article 16, section 15, is amended to read:
67.23 	Sec. 15. TEACHER DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION REVENUE.
 67.24 	(a) For fiscal year 2015 only, teacher development and evaluation revenue for a 
67.25 	school district, intermediate school district, or charter school with any school site that does 
67.26 	not have an alternative professional pay system agreement under Minnesota Statutes, 
67.27 	section 122A.414, subdivision 2, equals $302 times the number of full-time equivalent 
67.28 	teachers employed on October 1 of the previous school year in each school site without 
67.29 	an alternative professional pay system under Minnesota Statutes, section 122A.414, 
67.30 	subdivision 2. Except for charter schools, revenue under this section must be reserved for 
67.31 	teacher development and evaluation activities consistent with Minnesota Statutes, section 
67.32 	122A.40, subdivision 8, or Minnesota Statutes, section 122A.41, subdivision 5. For the 
67.33 	purposes of this section, "teacher" has the meaning given it in Minnesota Statutes, section 
67.34 	122A.40, subdivision 1, or Minnesota Statutes, section 122A.41, subdivision 1.
68.1 	(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), the state total teacher development and evaluation 
68.2 	revenue entitlement must not exceed $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2015. The commissioner 
68.3 	must limit the amount of revenue under this section so as not to exceed this limit.

68.4 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for fiscal year 2015.

68.5 	Sec. 66. SCHOOL START DATE FOR THE 2015-2016 SCHOOL YEAR ONLY.
 68.6 	Notwithstanding Minnesota Statutes, section 120A.40, or other law to the contrary, 
68.7 	for the 2015-2016 school year only, school districts may begin the school year on 
68.8 	September 1.

68.9 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for the 2015-2016 school year only.

68.10 	Sec. 67. REPORT ON ASSESSING STUDENTS' PROFICIENCY IN FOREIGN 
68.11 	LANGUAGES FOR WHICH ACTFL ASSESSMENTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE.
 68.12 	By February 1, 2016, the commissioner of education, in consultation with the 
68.13 	chancellor of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, may prepare and submit to 
68.14 	the K-12 and higher education committees of the legislature a report recommending how 
68.15 	best to: assess students' foreign language proficiency under Minnesota Statutes, section 
68.16 	120B.022, subdivisions 1a and 1b, when ACTFL or equivalent valid and reliable language 
68.17 	proficiency assessments are not available; create guidelines for curriculum, instruction, 
68.18 	and assessments for foreign languages for which no written forms exist; and, if needed, 
68.19 	train a corps of individuals qualified to assess students' foreign language proficiency. The 
68.20 	commissioner, when preparing the report, must also consult with postsecondary world 
68.21 	languages faculty, teachers of English to speakers of other languages, other experts on 
68.22 	teaching language and culture and acquiring language, state councils whose constituencies 
68.23 	include non-native English language speakers, and other stakeholders.

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

68.25 	Sec. 68. CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATOR LICENSING.
 68.26 	The Department of Education must convene a group of stakeholders, beginning 
68.27 	no later than September 1, 2015, to review the current status of career and technical 
68.28 	educator licenses and provide recommendations on any changes needed to the licensure 
68.29 	requirements and methods to increase access for school districts to licensed career and 
68.30 	technical educators. The stakeholders convened shall include representatives from 
68.31 	the Board of Teaching; colleges and universities offering a board-approved teacher 
68.32 	preparation program; science, technology, engineering, and math programs such as Project 
69.1 	Lead the Way; secondary school administrators, including superintendents, principals, 
69.2 	and assistant principals; and representatives of other interested groups as determined by 
69.3 	the commissioner of education. The commissioner must report by January 15, 2016, to 
69.4 	the legislative committees having jurisdiction over kindergarten through grade 12 and 
69.5 	higher education. The report must include recommendations for any changes, if needed, 
69.6 	to the career and technical educator licensure requirements and how to increase access 
69.7 	to licensed career and technical educators in Minnesota.

69.8 	Sec. 69. DEVELOPMENTAL COURSE TAKING; REPORT.
 69.9 	The commissioner of education, in consultation with the commissioner of the Office 
69.10 	of Higher Education, the chancellor of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, 
69.11 	and the president of the University of Minnesota, shall collect and report the following 
69.12 	information to the legislature by January 1, 2016:
69.13 	(1) The tuition costs incurred by students enrolled in noncredit-bearing college 
69.14 	courses at the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities 
69.15 	for developmental or remedial purposes for the 2014-2015 and preceding four school 
69.16 	years; and
69.17 	(2) For the same time period, the Minnesota high schools who graduated the students 
69.18 	in clause (1), the aggregate number of students from each high school in clause (1), and 
69.19 	the tuition cost under clause (1) for students from each high school.

69.20 	Sec. 70. RECOMMENDATIONS ON SERVICE-LEARNING.
 69.21 	The Board of Teaching may make recommendations to the legislature on teacher 
69.22 	preparation and licensure requirements in the area of service-learning, consistent with 
69.23 	Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.50, and the definition of service-learning in the federal 
69.24 	National and Community Service Act, as amended, and submit the recommendations 
69.25 	to the legislature by February 15, 2016. The board must consult with representatives 
69.26 	of teacher preparation programs and institutions, school-based and community-based 
69.27 	service-learning practitioners and experts, licensed teachers, students with service-learning 
69.28 	experience, and other interested stakeholders in developing the recommendations.

69.29 	Sec. 71.  REPEALER.
 69.30 	(a) Minnesota Statutes 2014, sections 120B.128; 120B.35, subdivision 5; and 
69.31 	126C.12, subdivision 6, are repealed.
69.32 	(b) Minnesota Rules, part 3500.1000, is repealed.

70.1 	ARTICLE 3
70.2 	SPECIAL PROGRAMS

70.3 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 121A.46, is amended by adding a 
70.4 	subdivision to read:
70.5 		Subd. 5.Elementary discipline policy. (a) A school district must adopt a 
70.6 	disciplinary policy for elementary pupils. The policy must outline effective alternatives 
70.7 	to suspension including, but not limited to, the strategies outlined in section 121A.575. 
70.8 	For students in kindergarten through grade 3, the policy shall allow an administrator to 
70.9 	suspend a pupil only when alternatives were attempted and proven ineffective. The policy 
70.10 	may, in addition, allow an administrator to suspend a pupil when:
70.11 	(1) the pupil poses a risk of harm to himself or herself or others; or
70.12 	(2) the pupil's presence constitutes a significant disruption of the educational process 
70.13 	for other students.
70.14 	(b) The policy described in this subdivision shall:
70.15 	(1) have an immediate goal of preventing and reducing the suspension of pupils, 
70.16 	particularly in kindergarten through grade 3;
70.17 	(2) be designed to create a positive school climate with a focus on prevention;
70.18 	(3) include clear, appropriate, and consistent expectations and consequences to 
70.19 	address disruptive pupil behaviors;
70.20 	(4) ensure fairness, equity, and continuous improvement; and
70.21 	(5) be developed with input from parents, teachers, administrators, and community 
70.22 	partners.

70.23 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 121A.46, is amended by adding a subdivision 
70.24 	to read:
70.25 		Subd. 6.Programming. A district shall identify and develop programming to 
70.26 	address underlying causes of disruptive behavior with the goal of reducing suspensions.

70.27 	Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 121A.46, is amended by adding a subdivision 
70.28 	to read:
70.29 		Subd. 7.Annual report. The superintendent shall annually report to the board on 
70.30 	suspensions. The report must describe the effectiveness of the interventions and strategies 
70.31 	on reducing suspensions. The board shall consider and implement needed changes in 
70.32 	district programming to continue reducing suspensions.

71.1 	Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 121A.53, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
71.2 		Subdivision 1.Exclusions and expulsions. The school board must report through 
71.3 	the department electronic reporting system each exclusion or, expulsion, or written 
71.4 	agreement of parents to withdraw a child from school as an alternative to expulsion within 
71.5 	30 days of the effective date of the action to the commissioner of education. This report 
71.6 	must include a statement of alternative educational services given the pupil and the reason 
71.7 	for, the effective date, and the duration of the exclusion or expulsion. The report must also 
71.8 	include the student's age, grade, gender, race, and special education status.

71.9 	Sec. 5. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 121A.575, is amended to read:
71.10 	121A.575 ALTERNATIVES TO PUPIL SUSPENSION.
71.11 	Notwithstanding any law to the contrary and in accordance with sections 121A.40
71.12 	to 121A.56, after a school administration notifies a pupil of the grounds for suspension, 
71.13 	the school administration may, instead of imposing the suspension, do one or more of 
71.14 	the following:
71.15 	(1) strongly encourage a parent or guardian of the pupil to attend school with the 
71.16 	pupil for one day;
71.17 	(2) assign the pupil to attend school on Saturday as supervised by the principal 
71.18 	or the principal's designee; and
71.19 	(3) petition the juvenile court that the student is in need of services under chapter 
71.20 	260C;
71.21 	(4) implement an alternate restorative consequence;
71.22 	(5) impose an in-school suspension;
71.23 	(6) develop a positive behavior intervention plan based on a functional behavioral 
71.24 	assessment; or
71.25 	(7) coordinate with crisis services in the community.

71.26 	Sec. 6. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 121A.61, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
71.27 		Subd. 3.Policy components. The policy must include at least the following 
71.28 	components:
71.29 	(a) rules governing student conduct and procedures for informing students of the 
71.30 	rules;
71.31 	(b) the grounds for removal of a student from a class;
71.32 	(c) the authority of the classroom teacher to remove students from the classroom 
71.33 	pursuant to procedures and rules established in the district's policy;
72.1 	(d) the procedures for removal of a student from a class by a teacher, school 
72.2 	administrator, or other school district employee;
72.3 	(e) the period of time for which a student may be removed from a class, which may 
72.4 	not exceed five class periods for a violation of a rule of conduct;
72.5 	(f) provisions relating to the responsibility for and custody of a student removed 
72.6 	from a class;
72.7 	(g) the procedures for return of a student to the specified class from which the 
72.8 	student has been removed;
72.9 	(h) the procedures for notifying a student and the student's parents or guardian of 
72.10 	violations of the rules of conduct and of resulting disciplinary actions;
72.11 	(i) any procedures determined appropriate for encouraging early involvement of 
72.12 	parents or guardians in attempts to improve a student's behavior;
72.13 	(j) any procedures determined appropriate for encouraging early detection of 
72.14 	behavioral problems;
72.15 	(k) any procedures determined appropriate for referring a student in need of special 
72.16 	education services to those services;
72.17 	(1) the procedures for consideration of whether there is a need for a further 
72.18 	assessment or of whether there is a need for a review of the adequacy of a current 
72.19 	individualized education program of a student with a disability who is removed from class;
72.20 	(m) procedures for detecting and addressing chemical abuse problems of a student 
72.21 	while on the school premises;
72.22 	(n) the minimum consequences for violations of the code of conduct;
72.23 	(o) procedures for immediate and appropriate interventions tied to violations of 
72.24 	the code;
72.25 	(p) a provision that states that a teacher, school employee, school bus driver, or 
72.26 	other agent of a district may use reasonable force in compliance with section 121A.582
72.27 	and other laws; and
72.28 	(q) an agreement regarding procedures to coordinate crisis services, including the 
72.29 	use of mobile crisis response teams, to the extent funds are available with the county board 
72.30 	responsible for implementing sections 245.487 to 245.4889 for students with a serious 
72.31 	emotional disturbance or other students who have an individualized education program 
72.32 	whose behavior may be addressed by crisis intervention.

72.33 	Sec. 7. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 121A.67, is amended by adding a subdivision 
72.34 	to read:
73.1 		Subd. 3.Notification of parents. A school administrator must make reasonable 
73.2 	efforts to immediately contact the parent of any student who is removed from a school 
73.3 	building, or school grounds by a peace officer, unless otherwise prohibited by law.

73.4 	Sec. 8. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 122A.31, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
73.5 		Subdivision 1.Requirements for American sign language/English interpreters.
 73.6 	(a) In addition to any other requirements that a school district establishes, any person 
73.7 	employed to provide American sign language/English interpreting or sign transliterating 
73.8 	services on a full-time or part-time basis for a school district after July 1, 2000, must:
73.9 	(1) hold current interpreter and transliterator certificates awarded by the Registry 
73.10 	of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID), or the general level interpreter proficiency certificate 
73.11 	awarded by the National Association of the Deaf (NAD), or a comparable state 
73.12 	certification from the commissioner of education; and
73.13 	(2) satisfactorily complete an interpreter/transliterator training program affiliated 
73.14 	with an accredited educational institution.
73.15 	(b) New graduates of an interpreter/transliterator program affiliated with an 
73.16 	accredited education institution shall be granted a two-year provisional certificate by 
73.17 	the commissioner. During the two-year provisional period, the interpreter/transliterator 
73.18 	must develop and implement an education plan in collaboration with a mentor under 
73.19 	paragraph (c).
73.20 	(c) A mentor of a provisionally certified interpreter/transliterator must be an 
73.21 	interpreter/transliterator who has either NAD level IV or V certification or RID 
73.22 	certified interpreter and certified transliterator certification and have at least three 
73.23 	years interpreting/transliterating experience in any educational setting. The mentor, in 
73.24 	collaboration with the provisionally certified interpreter/transliterator, shall develop and 
73.25 	implement an education plan designed to meet the requirements of paragraph (a), clause 
73.26 	(1), and include a weekly on-site mentoring process.
73.27 	(d) Consistent with the requirements of this paragraph, a person holding a 
73.28 	provisional certificate may apply to the commissioner for one time-limited extension. 
73.29 	The commissioner, in consultation with the Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind and 
73.30 	Hard-of-Hearing Minnesotans, must grant the person a time-limited extension of the 
73.31 	provisional certificate based on the following documentation:
73.32 	(1) letters of support from the person's mentor, a parent of a pupil the person serves, 
73.33 	the special education director of the district in which the person is employed, and a 
73.34 	representative from the regional service center of the deaf and hard-of-hearing;
74.1 	(2) records of the person's formal education, training, experience, and progress on 
74.2 	the person's education plan; and
74.3 	(3) an explanation of why the extension is needed.
74.4 	As a condition of receiving the extension, the person must comply with a plan 
74.5 	and the accompanying time line for meeting the requirements of this subdivision. A 
74.6 	committee composed of the director of the Minnesota Resource Center Serving Deaf and 
74.7 	Hard-of-Hearing, or the director's designee deaf and hard-of-hearing state specialist, a 
74.8 	representative of the Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens, a representative of the 
74.9 	Minnesota Registry of Interpreters of the Deaf, and other appropriate persons selected 
74.10 	by the commissioner must develop the plan and time line for the person receiving the 
74.11 	extension.
74.12 	(e) A school district may employ only an interpreter/transliterator who has been 
74.13 	certified under paragraph (a) or (b), or for whom a time-limited extension has been 
74.14 	granted under paragraph (d).

74.15 	Sec. 9. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 122A.31, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
74.16 		Subd. 2.Oral or cued speech transliterators. (a) In addition to any other 
74.17 	requirements that a school district establishes, any person employed to provide oral 
74.18 	transliterating or cued speech transliterating services on a full-time or part-time basis for a 
74.19 	school district after July 1, 2000, must hold a current applicable transliterator certificate 
74.20 	awarded by the national certifying association or comparable state certification from 
74.21 	the commissioner of education.
74.22 	(b) To provide oral or cued speech transliterator services on a full-time or part-time 
74.23 	basis, a person employed in a school district must comply with paragraph (a). The 
74.24 	commissioner shall grant a nonrenewable, two-year certificate to a school district on behalf 
74.25 	of a person who has not yet attained a current applicable transliterator certificate under 
74.26 	paragraph (a). A person for whom a nonrenewable, two-year certificate is issued must 
74.27 	work under the direction of a licensed teacher who is skilled in language development 
74.28 	of individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. A person for whom a nonrenewable, 
74.29 	two-year certificate is issued also must enroll in a state-approved training program and 
74.30 	demonstrate progress towards the certification required under paragraph (a) sufficient for 
74.31 	the person to be certified at the end of the two-year period.
74.32 	(c) Consistent with the requirements of this paragraph, a person holding a 
74.33 	provisional certificate may apply to the commissioner for one time-limited extension. The 
74.34 	commissioner, in consultation with the Commission Serving Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing 
75.1 	People, must grant the person a time-limited extension of the provisional certificate based 
75.2 	on the following documentation:
75.3 	(1) letters of support from the person's mentor, a parent of a pupil the person serves, 
75.4 	the special education director of the district in which the person is employed, and a 
75.5 	representative from the regional service center of the deaf and hard-of-hearing;
75.6 	(2) records of the person's formal education, training, experience, and progress on 
75.7 	the person's education plan; and
75.8 	(3) an explanation of why the extension is needed.
75.9 	As a condition of receiving the extension, the person must comply with a plan 
75.10 	and the accompanying time line for meeting the requirements of this subdivision. A 
75.11 	committee composed of the director of the Minnesota Resource Center Serving Deaf and 
75.12 	Hard-of-Hearing, or the director's designee deaf and hard-of-hearing state specialist, a 
75.13 	representative of the Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens, a representative of the 
75.14 	Minnesota Registry of Interpreters of the Deaf, and other appropriate persons selected 
75.15 	by the commissioner must develop the plan and time line for the person receiving the 
75.16 	extension.

75.17 	Sec. 10. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 123B.88, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
75.18 		Subdivision 1.Providing transportation. The board may provide for the 
75.19 	transportation of pupils to and from school and for any other purpose. The board may 
75.20 	also provide for the transportation of pupils to schools in other districts for grades and 
75.21 	departments not maintained in the district, including high school, at the expense of the 
75.22 	district, when funds are available therefor and if agreeable to the district to which it is 
75.23 	proposed to transport the pupils, for the whole or a part of the school year, as it may 
75.24 	deem advisable, and subject to its rules. In any district, the board must arrange for the 
75.25 	attendance of all pupils living two miles or more from the school, except pupils whose 
75.26 	transportation privileges have been voluntarily surrendered under subdivision 2, or 
75.27 	whose privileges have been revoked under section 123B.91, subdivision 1, clause (6), or 
75.28 	123B.90, subdivision 2. The district may provide for the transportation of or the boarding 
75.29 	and rooming of the pupils who may be more economically and conveniently provided for 
75.30 	by that means. Arrangements for attendance may include a requirement that parents or 
75.31 	guardians request transportation before it is provided. The board must provide necessary 
75.32 	transportation to and from the home of consistent with section 123B.92, subdivision 1, 
75.33 	paragraph (b), clause (4), for a child with a disability not yet enrolled in kindergarten 
75.34 	when for the provision of special instruction and services under sections 125A.03 to 
75.35 	125A.24, 125A.26 to 125A.48, and 125A.65are provided in a location other than in 
76.1 	the child's home. Special instruction and services for a child with a disability not yet 
76.2 	enrolled in kindergarten include an individualized education program team placement 
76.3 	in an early childhood program when that placement is necessary to address the child's 
76.4 	level of functioning and needs. When transportation is provided, scheduling of routes, 
76.5 	establishment of the location of bus stops, manner and method of transportation, control 
76.6 	and discipline of school children, the determination of fees, and any other matter relating 
76.7 	thereto must be within the sole discretion, control, and management of the board. The 
76.8 	district may provide for the transportation of pupils or expend a reasonable amount 
76.9 	for room and board of pupils whose attendance at school can more economically and 
76.10 	conveniently be provided for by that means or who attend school in a building rented or 
76.11 	leased by a district within the confines of an adjacent district.

76.12 	Sec. 11. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 125A.023, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
76.13 		Subd. 3.Definitions. For purposes of this section and section 125A.027, the 
76.14 	following terms have the meanings given them:
76.15 	(a) "Health plan" means:
76.16 	(1) a health plan under section 62Q.01, subdivision 3;
76.17 	(2) a county-based purchasing plan under section 256B.692;
76.18 	(3) a self-insured health plan established by a local government under section 
76.19 	471.617; or
76.20 	(4) self-insured health coverage provided by the state to its employees or retirees.
76.21 	(b) For purposes of this section, "health plan company" means an entity that issues 
76.22 	a health plan as defined in paragraph (a).
76.23 	(c) "Interagency intervention service system" means a system that coordinates 
76.24 	services and programs required in state and federal law to meet the needs of eligible 
76.25 	children with disabilities ages birth through 21, including:
76.26 	(1) services provided under the following programs or initiatives administered 
76.27 	by state or local agencies:
76.28 	(i) the maternal and child health program under title V of the Social Security Act;
76.29 	(ii) the Minnesota children with special health needs program under sections 144.05 
76.30 	and 144.07;
76.31 	(iii) the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Part B, section 619, and Part 
76.32 	C as amended;
76.33 	(iv) medical assistance under title 42, chapter 7, of the Social Security Act;
76.34 	(v) developmental disabilities services under chapter 256B;
76.35 	(vi) the Head Start Act under title 42, chapter 105, of the Social Security Act;
77.1 	(vii) vocational rehabilitation services provided under chapters 248 and 268A and 
77.2 	the Rehabilitation Act of 1973;
77.3 	(viii) Juvenile Court Act services provided under sections 260.011 to 260.91; 
77.4 	260B.001 to 260B.446; and 260C.001 to 260C.451;
77.5 	(ix) Minnesota Comprehensive Children's Mental Health Act under section 245.487;
77.6 	(x) the community health services grants under sections 145.88 to 145.9266;
77.7 	(xi) the Local Public Health Act under chapter 145A; and
77.8 	(xii) the Vulnerable Children and Adults Act, sections 256M.60 to 256M.80;
77.9 	(2) service provision and funding that can be coordinated through:
77.10 	(i) the children's mental health collaborative under section 245.493;
77.11 	(ii) the family services collaborative under section 124D.23;
77.12 	(iii) the community transition interagency committees under section 125A.22; and
77.13 	(iv) the interagency early intervention committees under section 125A.259;
77.14 	(3) financial and other funding programs to be coordinated including medical 
77.15 	assistance under title 42, chapter 7, of the Social Security Act, the MinnesotaCare program 
77.16 	under chapter 256L, Supplemental Social Security Income, Developmental Disabilities 
77.17 	Assistance, and any other employment-related activities associated with the Social 
77.18 	Security Administration; and services provided under a health plan in conformity with an 
77.19 	individual family service plan or an individualized education program or an individual 
77.20 	interagency intervention plan; and
77.21 	(4) additional appropriate services that local agencies and counties provide on 
77.22 	an individual need basis upon determining eligibility and receiving a request from (i) 
77.23 	the interagency early intervention committee school board or county board and (ii) the 
77.24 	child's parent.
77.25 	(d) "Children with disabilities" has the meaning given in section 125A.02.
77.26 	(e) A "standardized written plan" means those individual services or programs, with 
77.27 	accompanying funding sources, available through the interagency intervention service 
77.28 	system to an eligible child other than the services or programs described in the child's 
77.29 	individualized education program or the child's individual family service plan.

77.30 	Sec. 12. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 125A.023, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
77.31 		Subd. 4.State Interagency Committee. (a) The commissioner of education, on 
77.32 	behalf of the governor, shall convene an interagency committee to develop and implement 
77.33 	a coordinated, multidisciplinary, interagency intervention service system for children ages 
77.34 	three to 21 with disabilities. The commissioners of commerce, education, health, human 
77.35 	rights, human services, employment and economic development, and corrections shall 
78.1 	each appoint two committee members from their departments; and the Association of 
78.2 	Minnesota Counties, Minnesota School Boards Association, the Minnesota Administrators 
78.3 	of Special Education, and the School Nurse Association of Minnesota shall each appoint 
78.4 	one committee member. The committee shall select a chair from among its members.
78.5 	(b) The committee shall:
78.6 	(1) identify and assist in removing state and federal barriers to local coordination of 
78.7 	services provided to children with disabilities;
78.8 	(2) identify adequate, equitable, and flexible funding sources to streamline these 
78.9 	services;
78.10 	(3) develop guidelines for implementing policies that ensure a comprehensive and 
78.11 	coordinated system of all state and local agency services, including multidisciplinary 
78.12 	assessment practices for children with disabilities ages three to 21, including:
78.13 	(i) develop, consistent with federal law, a standardized written plan for providing 
78.14 	services to a child with disabilities;
78.15 	(ii) identify how current systems for dispute resolution can be coordinated;
78.16 	(iii) develop an evaluation process to measure the success of state and local 
78.17 	interagency efforts in improving the quality and coordination of services to children with 
78.18 	disabilities ages three to 21; and
78.19 	(iv) develop guidelines to assist the governing boards of the interagency early 
78.20 	intervention committees in carrying out the duties assigned in section 125A.027, 
78.21 	subdivision 1, paragraph (b); and
78.22 	(4) carry out other duties necessary to develop and implement within communities 
78.23 	a coordinated, multidisciplinary, interagency intervention service system for children 
78.24 	with disabilities.
78.25 	(c) The committee shall consult on an ongoing basis with the state Special Education 
78.26 	Advisory Panel and the governor's Interagency Coordinating Council in carrying out 
78.27 	its duties under this section, including assisting the governing school boards of the 
78.28 	interagency early intervention committees and county boards.

78.29 	Sec. 13. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 125A.027, is amended to read:
78.30 	125A.027 INTERAGENCY EARLY INTERVENTION COMMITTEE 
78.31 	RESPONSIBILITIES LOCAL AGENCY COORDINATION RESPONSIBILITIES.
78.32 		Subdivision 1.Additional duties School board and county board responsibilities.
 78.33 	(a) It is the joint responsibility of school and county boards to coordinate, provide, and 
78.34 	pay for appropriate services and to facilitate payment for services from public and private 
78.35 	sources. Appropriate services for children eligible under section 125A.02 and receiving 
79.1 	services from two or more public agencies of which one is the public school must be 
79.2 	determined in consultation with parents, physicians, and other education, medical health, 
79.3 	and human services providers. The services provided must conform with a standardized 
79.4 	written plan for each eligible child ages three to 21.
79.5 	(b) Appropriate services include those services listed on a child's standardized 
79.6 	written plan. These services are those that are required to be documented on a plan under 
79.7 	federal and state law or rule.
79.8 	(c) School and county boards shall coordinate interagency services. Service 
79.9 	responsibilities for eligible children, ages three to 21, may be established in interagency 
79.10 	agreements or joint powers board agreements. In addition, interagency agreements or 
79.11 	joint powers board agreements may be developed to establish agency responsibility that 
79.12 	ensures that coordinated interagency services are coordinated, provided, and paid for and 
79.13 	that payment is facilitated from public and private sources. School boards must provide, 
79.14 	pay for, and facilitate payment for special education services as required under sections 
79.15 	125A.03 and 125A.06. County boards must provide, pay for, and facilitate payment for 
79.16 	those programs over which they have service and fiscal responsibility as referenced in 
79.17 	section 125A.023, subdivision 3, paragraph (c), clause (1).
79.18 		Subd. 1a.Local governance structure. (a) The governing school boards of 
79.19 	the interagency early intervention committees and county boards are responsible for 
79.20 	developing and implementing interagency policies and procedures to coordinate services 
79.21 	at the local level for children with disabilities ages three to 21 under guidelines established 
79.22 	by the state interagency committee under section 125A.023, subdivision 4. Consistent 
79.23 	with the requirements in this section and section 125A.023, the governing school boards 
79.24 	of the interagency early intervention committees and county boards may organize as a 
79.25 	joint powers board under section 471.59 or enter into an interagency agreement that 
79.26 	establishes a governance structure.
79.27 	(b) The governing board of each interagency early intervention committee as defined 
79.28 	in section 125A.30, paragraph (a), which may include a juvenile justice professional, shall:
79.29 	(1) identify state and federal barriers to local coordination of services provided to 
79.30 	children with disabilities;
79.31 	(2) implement policies that ensure a comprehensive and coordinated system of all 
79.32 	state and local agency services, including practices on multidisciplinary assessment, 
79.33 	standardized written plans, dispute resolution, and system evaluation for children with 
79.34 	disabilities ages three to 21;
79.35 	(3) coordinate services and facilitate payment for services from public and private 
79.36 	institutions, agencies, and health plan companies; and
80.1 	(4) share needed information consistent with state and federal data practices 
80.2 	requirements.
80.3 		Subd. 2.Appropriate and necessary services. (a) Parents, physicians, other health 
80.4 	care professionals including school nurses, and education and human services providers 
80.5 	jointly must determine appropriate and necessary services for eligible children with 
80.6 	disabilities ages three to 21. The services provided to the child under this section must 
80.7 	conform with the child's standardized written plan. The governing school board of an 
80.8 	interagency early intervention committee or county board must provide those services 
80.9 	contained in a child's individualized education program and those services for which 
80.10 	a legal obligation exists.
80.11 	(b) Nothing in this section or section 125A.023 increases or decreases the obligation 
80.12 	of the state, county, regional agency, local school district, or local agency or organization 
80.13 	to pay for education, health care, or social services.
80.14 	(c) A health plan may not exclude any medically necessary covered service solely 
80.15 	because the service is or could be identified in a child's individual family service plan, 
80.16 	individualized education program, a plan established under section 504 of the federal 
80.17 	Rehabilitation Act of 1973, or a student's individual health plan. This paragraph reaffirms 
80.18 	the obligation of a health plan company to provide or pay for certain medically necessary 
80.19 	covered services, and encourages a health plan company to coordinate this care with any 
80.20 	other providers of similar services. Also, a health plan company may not exclude from a 
80.21 	health plan any medically necessary covered service such as an assessment or physical 
80.22 	examination solely because the resulting information may be used for an individualized 
80.23 	education program or a standardized written plan.
80.24 		Subd. 4.Responsibilities of school and county boards. (a) It is the joint 
80.25 	responsibility of school and county boards to coordinate, provide, and pay for appropriate 
80.26 	services, and to facilitate payment for services from public and private sources. 
80.27 	Appropriate service for children eligible under section 125A.02 and receiving service 
80.28 	from two or more public agencies of which one is the public school must be determined in 
80.29 	consultation with parents, physicians, and other education, medical health, and human 
80.30 	services providers. The services provided must be in conformity with a standardized 
80.31 	written plan for each eligible child ages 3 to 21.
80.32 	(b) Appropriate services include those services listed on a child's standardized 
80.33 	written plan. These services are those that are required to be documented on a plan under 
80.34 	federal and state law or rule.
80.35 	(c) School and county boards shall coordinate interagency services. Service 
80.36 	responsibilities for eligible children, ages 3 to 21, may be established in interagency 
81.1 	agreements or joint powers board agreements. In addition, interagency agreements or joint 
81.2 	powers board agreements may be developed to establish agency responsibility that assures 
81.3 	that coordinated interagency services are coordinated, provided, and paid for, and that 
81.4 	payment is facilitated from public and private sources. School boards must provide, 
81.5 	pay for, and facilitate payment for special education services as required under sections 
81.6 	125A.03 and 125A.06. County boards must provide, pay for, and facilitate payment for 
81.7 	those programs over which they have service and fiscal responsibility as referenced in 
81.8 	section 125A.023, subdivision 3, paragraph (c), clause (1).

81.9 	Sec. 14. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 125A.08, is amended to read:
81.10 	125A.08 INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAMS.
81.11 	(a) At the beginning of each school year, each school district shall have in effect, for 
81.12 	each child with a disability, an individualized education program.
81.13 	(b) As defined in this section, every district must ensure the following:
81.14 	(1) all students with disabilities are provided the special instruction and services 
81.15 	which are appropriate to their needs. Where the individualized education program team 
81.16 	has determined appropriate goals and objectives based on the student's needs, including 
81.17 	the extent to which the student can be included in the least restrictive environment, 
81.18 	and where there are essentially equivalent and effective instruction, related services, or 
81.19 	assistive technology devices available to meet the student's needs, cost to the district may 
81.20 	be among the factors considered by the team in choosing how to provide the appropriate 
81.21 	services, instruction, or devices that are to be made part of the student's individualized 
81.22 	education program. The individualized education program team shall consider and 
81.23 	may authorize services covered by medical assistance according to section 256B.0625, 
81.24 	subdivision 26. The student's needs and the special education instruction and services to 
81.25 	be provided must be agreed upon through the development of an individualized education 
81.26 	program. The program must address the student's need to develop skills to live and 
81.27 	work as independently as possible within the community. The individualized education 
81.28 	program team must consider positive behavioral interventions, strategies, and supports 
81.29 	that address behavior needs for children with attention deficit disorder or attention deficit 
81.30 	hyperactivity disorder. During grade 9, the program must address the student's needs for 
81.31 	transition from secondary services to postsecondary education and training, employment, 
81.32 	community participation, recreation, and leisure and home living. In developing the 
81.33 	program, districts must inform parents of the full range of transitional goals and related 
81.34 	services that should be considered. The program must include a statement of the needed 
82.1 	transition services, including a statement of the interagency responsibilities or linkages or 
82.2 	both before secondary services are concluded;
82.3 	(2) children with a disability under age five and their families are provided special 
82.4 	instruction and services appropriate to the child's level of functioning and needs;
82.5 	(3) children with a disability and their parents or guardians are guaranteed procedural 
82.6 	safeguards and the right to participate in decisions involving identification, assessment 
82.7 	including assistive technology assessment, and educational placement of children with a 
82.8 	disability;
82.9 	(4) eligibility and needs of children with a disability are determined by an initial 
82.10 	evaluation or reevaluation, which may be completed using existing data under United 
82.11 	States Code, title 20, section 33, et seq.;
82.12 	(5) to the maximum extent appropriate, children with a disability, including those 
82.13 	in public or private institutions or other care facilities, are educated with children who 
82.14 	are not disabled, and that special classes, separate schooling, or other removal of children 
82.15 	with a disability from the regular educational environment occurs only when and to the 
82.16 	extent that the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes 
82.17 	with the use of supplementary services cannot be achieved satisfactorily;
82.18 	(6) in accordance with recognized professional standards, testing and evaluation 
82.19 	materials, and procedures used for the purposes of classification and placement of children 
82.20 	with a disability are selected and administered so as not to be racially or culturally 
82.21 	discriminatory; and
82.22 	(7) the rights of the child are protected when the parents or guardians are not known 
82.23 	or not available, or the child is a ward of the state.
82.24 	(c) For all paraprofessionals employed to work in programs for whose role in part 
82.25 	is to provide direct support to students with disabilities, the school board in each district 
82.26 	shall ensure that:
82.27 	(1) before or immediately upon employment, each paraprofessional develops 
82.28 	sufficient knowledge and skills in emergency procedures, building orientation, roles and 
82.29 	responsibilities, confidentiality, vulnerability, and reportability, among other things, 
82.30 	to begin meeting the needs, especially disability-specific and behavioral needs, of the 
82.31 	students with whom the paraprofessional works;
82.32 	(2) annual training opportunities are available required to enable the paraprofessional 
82.33 	to continue to further develop the knowledge and skills that are specific to the students 
82.34 	with whom the paraprofessional works, including understanding disabilities, the unique 
82.35 	and individual needs of each student according to the student's disability and how the 
83.1 	disability affects the student's education and behavior, following lesson plans, and 
83.2 	implementing follow-up instructional procedures and activities; and
83.3 	(3) a districtwide process obligates each paraprofessional to work under the ongoing 
83.4 	direction of a licensed teacher and, where appropriate and possible, the supervision of a 
83.5 	school nurse.

83.6 	Sec. 15. [125A.083] STUDENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS; TRANSFERRING 
83.7 	RECORDS.
83.8 	To efficiently and effectively meet federal and state compliance and accountability 
83.9 	requirements using an online case management reporting system, school districts may 
83.10 	contract only for a student information system that is Schools Interoperability Framework 
83.11 	(SIF) compliant and compatible with the online system for compliance reporting 
83.12 	under section 125A.085 beginning in the 2018-2019 school year and later. A district's 
83.13 	information  system under this section must facilitate the seamless transfer of student 
83.14 	records for a student with disabilities who transfers between school districts, including 
83.15 	records containing the student's evaluation report, service plan, and other due process 
83.16 	forms and information, regardless of what information system any one district uses.

83.17 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment 
83.18 	and applies to all district contracts with student information system vendors entered into 
83.19 	or modified after that date.

83.20 	Sec. 16. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 125A.085, is amended to read:
83.21 	125A.085 ONLINE REPORTING OF REQUIRED DATA.
83.22 	(a) To ensure a strong focus on outcomes for children with disabilities informs 
83.23 	federal and state compliance and accountability requirements and to increase opportunities 
83.24 	for special educators and related-services providers to focus on teaching children with 
83.25 	disabilities, the commissioner must customize a streamlined, user-friendly statewide 
83.26 	online system, with a single model online form, for effectively and efficiently collecting 
83.27 	and reporting required special education-related data to individuals with a legitimate 
83.28 	educational interest and who are authorized by law to access the data.
83.29 	(b) The commissioner must consult with qualified experts, including information 
83.30 	technology specialists, licensed special education teachers and directors of special 
83.31 	education, related-services providers, third-party vendors, a designee of the commissioner 
83.32 	of human services, parents of children with disabilities, representatives of advocacy groups 
83.33 	representing children with disabilities, and representatives of school districts and special 
84.1 	education cooperatives on integrating, field testing, customizing, and sustaining this simple, 
84.2 	easily accessible, efficient, and effective online data system for uniform statewide reporting 
84.3 	of required due process compliance data. Among other outcomes, the system must:
84.4 	(1) reduce special education teachers' paperwork burden and thereby increase the 
84.5 	teachers' opportunities to focus on teaching children;
84.6 	(2) to the extent authorized by chapter 13 or other applicable state or federal law 
84.7 	governing access to and dissemination of educational records, provide for efficiently 
84.8 	and effectively transmitting the records of all transferring children with disabilities, 
84.9 	including highly mobile and homeless children with disabilities, among others, and avoid 
84.10 	fragmented service delivery;
84.11 	(3) address language and other barriers and disparities that prevent parents from 
84.12 	understanding and communicating information about the needs of their children with 
84.13 	disabilities; and
84.14 	(4) help continuously improve the interface among the online systems serving 
84.15 	children with disabilities in order to maintain and reinforce the children's ability to learn.
84.16 	(c) The commissioner must use the federal Office of Special Education Programs 
84.17 	model forms for the (1) individualized education program, (2) notice of procedural 
84.18 	safeguards, and (3) prior written notice that are consistent with Part B of IDEA to integrate 
84.19 	and customize a state-sponsored universal special education online case management 
84.20 	system, consistent with the requirements of state law and this section for customizing a 
84.21 	statewide online reporting system. The commissioner must use a request for proposal 
84.22 	process to contract for the technology and software needed for customizing the online 
84.23 	system in order for the system to be fully functional, consistent with the requirements of 
84.24 	this section. This online system must be made available to school districts without charge 
84.25 	beginning in the 2015-2016 school year. For the 2015-2016 through 2017-2018and later 
84.26 	school years, school districts may use this online system or may contract with an outside 
84.27 	vendor for compliance reporting. Beginning in the 2018-2019 school year and later, 
84.28 	school districts must use this online system for compliance reporting.
84.29 	(d) All data on individuals maintained in the statewide reporting system are 
84.30 	classified as provided in chapter 13 or other applicable state or federal law. An authorized 
84.31 	individual's ability to enter, update, or access data must be limited through the use of 
84.32 	role-based access codes corresponding to that individual's official duties or training level, 
84.33 	and the statutory authorization that grants access for a particular purpose. Any action 
84.34 	in which data in the system are entered, updated, accessed, or shared or disseminated 
84.35 	outside of the system must be recorded in an audit trail. The audit trail must identify the 
84.36 	specific user responsible for the action, the date and time the action occurred, and the 
85.1 	purpose for the action. Data contained in the audit trail maintain the same classification 
85.2 	as the underlying data affected by the action, provided the responsible authority makes 
85.3 	the data available to a student or the student's parent upon request, and the responsible 
85.4 	authority may access the data to audit the system's user activity and security safeguards. 
85.5 	Before entering data on a student, the responsible authority must provide the student or the 
85.6 	student's parent written notice of the data practices rights and responsibilities required 
85.7 	by this section and a reasonable opportunity to refuse consent to have the student's data 
85.8 	included in the system. Upon receiving the student or the student's parent written refusal 
85.9 	to consent, the school district must not enter data on that student into the system and must 
85.10 	delete any existing data on that student currently in the system.
85.11 	(e) Consistent with this section, the commissioner must establish a public Internet 
85.12 	Web interface to provide information to educators, parents, and the public about the form 
85.13 	and content of required special education reports, to respond to queries from educators, 
85.14 	parents, and the public about specific aspects of special education reports and reporting, 
85.15 	and to use the information garnered from the interface to streamline and revise special 
85.16 	education reporting on the online system under this section. The public Internet Web 
85.17 	interface must have a prominently linked page describing the rights and responsibilities 
85.18 	of students and parents whose data are included in the statewide reporting system, and 
85.19 	include information on the data practices rights of students and parents provided by this 
85.20 	section and a form students or parents may use to refuse consent to have a student's data 
85.21 	included in the system. The public Internet Web interface must not provide access to the 
85.22 	educational records of any individual child.
85.23 	(f) The commissioner annually by February 1 must submit to the legislature a report 
85.24 	on the status, recent changes, and sustainability of the online system under this section.

85.25 	Sec. 17. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 125A.21, is amended to read:
85.26 	125A.21 THIRD-PARTY PAYMENT.
85.27 		Subdivision 1.Obligation to pay. Nothing in sections 125A.03 to 125A.24 and 
85.28 	125A.65 relieves an insurer or similar third party from an otherwise valid obligation to 
85.29 	pay, or changes the validity of an obligation to pay, for services rendered to a child with 
85.30 	a disability, and the child's family. A school district shall pay the nonfederal share of 
85.31 	medical assistance services provided according to section 256B.0625, subdivision 26. 
85.32 	Eligible expenditures must not be made from federal funds or funds used to match other 
85.33 	federal funds. Any federal disallowances are the responsibility of the school district. A 
85.34 	school district may pay or reimburse co-payments, coinsurance, deductibles, and other 
85.35 	enrollee cost-sharing amounts, on behalf of the student or family, in connection with 
86.1 	health and related services provided under an individual educational plan or individualized 
86.2 	family service plan.
86.3 		Subd. 2.Third-party reimbursement. (a) Beginning July 1, 2000, districts 
86.4 	shall seek reimbursement from insurers and similar third parties for the cost of services 
86.5 	provided by the district whenever the services provided by the district are otherwise 
86.6 	covered by the child's health coverage. Districts shall request, but may not require, the 
86.7 	child's family to provide information about the child's health coverage when a child with a 
86.8 	disability begins to receive services from the district of a type that may be reimbursable, 
86.9 	and shall request, but may not require, updated information after that as needed.
86.10 	(b) For children enrolled in medical assistance under chapter 256B or MinnesotaCare 
86.11 	under chapter 256L who have no other health coverage, a district shall provide an initial 
86.12 	and annual written notice to the enrolled child's parent or legal representative of its intent 
86.13 	to seek reimbursement from medical assistance or MinnesotaCare for the individualized 
86.14 	education program or individualized family service plan health-related services provided 
86.15 	by the district. The initial notice must give the child's parent or legal representative the 
86.16 	right to request a copy of the child's education records on the health-related services that 
86.17 	the district provided to the child and disclosed to a third-party payer.
86.18 	(c) The district shall give the parent or legal representative annual written notice of:
86.19 	(1) the district's intent to seek reimbursement from medical assistance or 
86.20 	MinnesotaCare for individualized education program or individualized family service plan 
86.21 	health-related services provided by the district;
86.22 	(2) the right of the parent or legal representative to request a copy of all records 
86.23 	concerning individualized education program or individualized family service plan 
86.24 	health-related services disclosed by the district to any third party; and
86.25 	(3) the right of the parent or legal representative to withdraw consent for disclosure 
86.26 	of a child's records at any time without consequence.
86.27 	The written notice shall be provided as part of the written notice required by Code of 
86.28 	Federal Regulations, title 34, section 300.504 or 303.520. The district must ensure that the 
86.29 	parent of a child with a disability is given notice, in understandable language, of federal and 
86.30 	state procedural safeguards available to the parent under this paragraph and paragraph (b).
86.31 	(d) In order to access the private health care coverage of a child who is covered by 
86.32 	private health care coverage in whole or in part, a district must:
86.33 	(1) obtain annual written informed consent from the parent or legal representative, in 
86.34 	compliance with subdivision 5; and
86.35 	(2) inform the parent or legal representative that a refusal to permit the district 
86.36 	or state Medicaid agency to access their private health care coverage does not relieve 
87.1 	the district of its responsibility to provide all services necessary to provide free and 
87.2 	appropriate public education at no cost to the parent or legal representative.
87.3 	(e) If the commissioner of human services obtains federal approval to exempt 
87.4 	covered individualized education program or individualized family service plan 
87.5 	health-related services from the requirement that private health care coverage refuse 
87.6 	payment before medical assistance may be billed, paragraphs (b), (c), and (d) shall also 
87.7 	apply to students with a combination of private health care coverage and health care 
87.8 	coverage through medical assistance or MinnesotaCare.
87.9 	(f) In the event that Congress or any federal agency or the Minnesota legislature 
87.10 	or any state agency establishes lifetime limits, limits for any health care services, 
87.11 	cost-sharing provisions, or otherwise provides that individualized education program or 
87.12 	individualized family service plan health-related services impact benefits for persons 
87.13 	enrolled in medical assistance or MinnesotaCare, the amendments to this subdivision 
87.14 	adopted in 2002 are repealed on the effective date of any federal or state law or regulation 
87.15 	that imposes the limits. In that event, districts must obtain informed consent consistent 
87.16 	with this subdivision as it existed prior to the 2002 amendments and subdivision 5, before 
87.17 	seeking reimbursement for children enrolled in medical assistance under chapter 256B or 
87.18 	MinnesotaCare under chapter 256L who have no other health care coverage.
87.19 		Subd. 3.Use of reimbursements. Of the reimbursements received, districts may:
87.20 	(1) retain an amount sufficient to compensate the district for its administrative costs 
87.21 	of obtaining reimbursements;
87.22 	(2) regularly obtain from education- and health-related entities training and other 
87.23 	appropriate technical assistance designed to improve the district's ability to access 
87.24 	third-party payments for individualized education program or individualized family 
87.25 	service plan health-related services; or
87.26 	(3) reallocate reimbursements for the benefit of students with individualized 
87.27 	education programs or individual individualized family service plans in the district.
87.28 		Subd. 4.Parents not obligated to use health coverage. To the extent required by 
87.29 	federal law, a school district may not require parents of children with disabilities, if they 
87.30 	would incur a financial cost, to use private or public health coverage to pay for the services 
87.31 	that must be provided under an individualized education program or individualized 
87.32 	family service plan.
87.33 		Subd. 5.Informed consent. When obtaining informed consent, consistent with 
87.34 	sections 13.05, subdivision 4a; 256B.77, subdivision 2, paragraph (p); and Code of 
87.35 	Federal Regulations, title 34, parts 99 and, 300, and 303, to bill health plans for covered 
87.36 	services, the school district must notify the legal representative (1) that the cost of the 
88.1 	person's private health insurance premium may increase due to providing the covered 
88.2 	service in the school setting, (2) that the school district may pay certain enrollee health 
88.3 	plan costs, including but not limited to, co-payments, coinsurance, deductibles, premium 
88.4 	increases or other enrollee cost-sharing amounts for health and related services required 
88.5 	by an individual service plan, or individual individualized family service plan, and (3) that 
88.6 	the school's billing for each type of covered service may affect service limits and prior 
88.7 	authorization thresholds. The informed consent may be revoked in writing at any time 
88.8 	by the person authorizing the billing of the health plan.
88.9 		Subd. 6.District obligation to provide service. To the extent required by federal 
88.10 	law, no school district may deny, withhold, or delay any service that must be provided 
88.11 	under an individualized education program or individualized family service plan because 
88.12 	a family has refused to provide informed consent to bill a health plan for services or a 
88.13 	health plan company has refused to pay any, all, or a portion of the cost of services billed.
88.14 		Subd. 7.District disclosure of information. A school district may disclose 
88.15 	information contained in a student's individualized education program, consistent with 
88.16 	section 13.32, subdivision 3, paragraph (a), and Code of Federal Regulations, title 34, 
88.17 	parts 99 and, 300, and 303; including records of the student's diagnosis and treatment, to a 
88.18 	health plan company only with the signed and dated consent of the student's parent, or 
88.19 	other legally authorized individual. The school district shall disclose only that information 
88.20 	necessary for the health plan company to decide matters of coverage and payment. A 
88.21 	health plan company may use the information only for making decisions regarding 
88.22 	coverage and payment, and for any other use permitted by law.

88.23 	Sec. 18. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 125A.28, is amended to read:
88.24 	125A.28 STATE INTERAGENCY COORDINATING COUNCIL.
88.25 	An Interagency Coordinating Council of at least 17, but not more than 25 members is 
88.26 	established, in compliance with Public Law 108-446, section 641. The members must be 
88.27 	appointed by the governor and reasonably represent the population of Minnesota. Council 
88.28 	members must elect the council chair, who may not be a representative of the Department 
88.29 	of Education. The council must be composed of at least five parents, including persons 
88.30 	of color, of children with disabilities under age 12, including at least three parents of a 
88.31 	child with a disability under age seven, five representatives of public or private providers 
88.32 	of services for children with disabilities under age five, including a special education 
88.33 	director, county social service director, local Head Start director, and a community health 
88.34 	services or public health nursing administrator, one member of the senate, one member of 
88.35 	the house of representatives, one representative of teacher preparation programs in early 
89.1 	childhood-special education or other preparation programs in early childhood intervention, 
89.2 	at least one representative of advocacy organizations for children with disabilities under 
89.3 	age five, one physician who cares for young children with special health care needs, one 
89.4 	representative each from the commissioners of commerce, education, health, human 
89.5 	services, a representative from the state agency responsible for child care, foster care, 
89.6 	mental health, homeless coordinator of education of homeless children and youth, and a 
89.7 	representative from Indian health services or a tribal council. Section 15.059, subdivisions 
89.8 	2 to 4, apply to the council. The council must meet at least quarterly.
89.9 	The council must address methods of implementing the state policy of developing 
89.10 	and implementing comprehensive, coordinated, multidisciplinary interagency programs of 
89.11 	early intervention services for children with disabilities and their families.
89.12 	The duties of the council include recommending policies to ensure a comprehensive 
89.13 	and coordinated system of all state and local agency services for children under age five 
89.14 	with disabilities and their families. The policies must address how to incorporate each 
89.15 	agency's services into a unified state and local system of multidisciplinary assessment 
89.16 	practices, individual intervention plans, comprehensive systems to find children in need of 
89.17 	services, methods to improve public awareness, and assistance in determining the role of 
89.18 	interagency early intervention committees.
89.19 	On the date that Minnesota Part C Annual Performance Report is submitted to 
89.20 	Within 30 days of receiving the annual determination from the federal Office of Special 
89.21 	Education on the Minnesota Part C Annual Performance Report, the council must 
89.22 	recommend to the governor and the commissioners of education, health, human services, 
89.23 	commerce, and employment and economic development policies for a comprehensive 
89.24 	and coordinated system.
89.25 	Annually, the council must prepare and submit a report to the governor and the 
89.26 	secretary of the federal Department of Education on the status of early intervention 
89.27 	services and programs for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families under 
89.28 	the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, United States Code, title 20, sections 
89.29 	1471 to 1485 (Part C, Public Law 102-119), as operated in Minnesota. The Minnesota 
89.30 	Part C annual performance report may serve as the report.
89.31 	Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the State Interagency Coordinating 
89.32 	Council does not expire unless federal law no longer requires the existence of the council 
89.33 	or committee.

89.34 	Sec. 19. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 125A.63, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
90.1 		Subd. 2.Programs. (a) The resource centers department must offer summer 
90.2 	institutes or other training programs throughout the state for deaf or hard-of-hearing, blind 
90.3 	or visually impaired, and multiply disabled pupils. The resource centers department must 
90.4 	also offer workshops for teachers, and leadership development for teachers.
90.5 	A program (b) Training and workshop programs offered through the resource centers 
90.6 	under paragraph (a) must help promote and develop education programs offered by school 
90.7 	districts or other organizations. The program programs must assist school districts or other 
90.8 	organizations to develop innovative programs.

90.9 	Sec. 20. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 125A.63, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
90.10 		Subd. 3.Programs by nonprofits. The resource centers department may contract 
90.11 	to have nonprofit organizations provide programs through the resource centers under 
90.12 	subdivision 2.

90.13 	Sec. 21. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 125A.63, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
90.14 		Subd. 4.Advisory committees. (a) The commissioner shall establish an advisory 
90.15 	committeecommittees for each resource center the deaf and hard-of-hearing and for the 
90.16 	blind and visually impaired. The advisory committees shall develop recommendations 
90.17 	regarding the resource centers and submit an annual report to the commissioner on the 
90.18 	form and in the manner prescribed by the commissioner.
90.19 	(b) The advisory committee for the Resource Center for the deaf and hard of hearing 
90.20 	shall meet periodically at least four times per year and submit an annual report to the 
90.21 	commissioner, the education policy and finance committees of the legislature, and the 
90.22 	Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing Hard-of-Hearing Minnesotans. 
90.23 	The report must, at least:
90.24 	(1) identify and report the aggregate, data-based education outcomes for children 
90.25 	with the primary disability classification of deaf and hard of hearing, consistent with 
90.26 	the commissioner's child count reporting practices, the commissioner's state and local 
90.27 	outcome data reporting system by district and region, and the school performance report 
90.28 	cards under section 120B.36, subdivision 1; and
90.29 	(2) describe the implementation of a data-based plan for improving the education 
90.30 	outcomes of deaf and hard of hearing children that is premised on evidence-based best 
90.31 	practices, and provide a cost estimate for ongoing implementation of the plan.

90.32 	Sec. 22. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 125A.63, subdivision 5, is amended to read:
91.1 		Subd. 5.Statewide hearing loss early education intervention coordinator. (a) 
91.2 	The coordinator shall:
91.3 	(1) collaborate with the early hearing detection and intervention coordinator for the 
91.4 	Department of Health, the director of the Department of Education Resource Center for 
91.5 	Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing deaf and hard-of-hearing state specialist, and the Department 
91.6 	of Health Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Advisory Council;
91.7 	(2) coordinate and support Department of Education early hearing detection and 
91.8 	intervention teams;
91.9 	(3) leverage resources by serving as a liaison between interagency early intervention 
91.10 	committees; part C coordinators from the Departments of Education, Health, and 
91.11 	Human Services; Department of Education regional low-incidence facilitators; service 
91.12 	coordinators from school districts; Minnesota children with special health needs in the 
91.13 	Department of Health; public health nurses; child find; Department of Human Services 
91.14 	Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Services Division; and others as appropriate;
91.15 	(4) identify, support, and promote culturally appropriate and evidence-based early 
91.16 	intervention practices for infants with hearing loss, and provide training, outreach, and use 
91.17 	of technology to increase consistency in statewide service provision;
91.18 	(5) identify culturally appropriate specialized reliable and valid instruments to assess 
91.19 	and track the progress of children with hearing loss and promote their use;
91.20 	(6) ensure that early childhood providers, parents, and members of the individual 
91.21 	family service and intervention plan are provided with child progress data resulting from 
91.22 	specialized assessments;
91.23 	(7) educate early childhood providers and teachers of the deaf and hard-of-hearing 
91.24 	to use developmental data from specialized assessments to plan and adjust individual 
91.25 	family service plans; and
91.26 	(8) make recommendations that would improve educational outcomes to the early 
91.27 	hearing detection and intervention committee, the commissioners of education and health, 
91.28 	the Commission of Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard-of-Hearing Minnesotans, and the advisory 
91.29 	council of the Minnesota Department of Education Resource Center for the deaf and 
91.30 	hard-of-hearing.
91.31 	(b) The Department of Education must provide aggregate data regarding outcomes 
91.32 	of deaf and hard-of-hearing children who receive early intervention services within the 
91.33 	state in accordance with the state performance plan.

91.34 	Sec. 23. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 125A.76, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
92.1 		Subdivision 1.Definitions. (a) For the purposes of this section and section 125A.79, 
92.2 	the definitions in this subdivision apply.
92.3 	(b) "Basic revenue" has the meaning given it in section 126C.10, subdivision 2. 
92.4 	For the purposes of computing basic revenue pursuant to this section, each child with a 
92.5 	disability shall be counted as prescribed in section 126C.05, subdivision 1.
92.6 	(c) "Essential personnel" means teachers, cultural liaisons, related services, and 
92.7 	support services staff providing services to students. Essential personnel may also include 
92.8 	special education paraprofessionals or clericals providing support to teachers and students 
92.9 	by preparing paperwork and making arrangements related to special education compliance 
92.10 	requirements, including parent meetings and individualized education programs. Essential 
92.11 	personnel does not include administrators and supervisors.
92.12 	(d) "Average daily membership" has the meaning given it in section 126C.05.
92.13 	(e) "Program growth factor" means 1.046 for fiscal years 2012 through 2015, 1.0 
92.14 	for fiscal year 2016, 1.046 for fiscal year 2017, and the product of 1.046 and the program 
92.15 	growth factor for the previous year for fiscal year 2018 and later.
92.16 	(f) "Nonfederal special education expenditure" means all direct expenditures that 
92.17 	are necessary and essential to meet the district's obligation to provide special instruction 
92.18 	and services to children with a disability according to sections 124D.454, 125A.03 to 
92.19 	125A.24, 125A.259 to 125A.48, and 125A.65 as submitted by the district and approved by 
92.20 	the department under section 125A.75, subdivision 4, excluding expenditures:
92.21 	(1) reimbursed with federal funds;
92.22 	(2) reimbursed with other state aids under this chapter;
92.23 	(3) for general education costs of serving students with a disability;
92.24 	(4) for facilities;
92.25 	(5) for pupil transportation; and
92.26 	(6) for postemployment benefits.
92.27 	(g) "Old formula special education expenditures" means expenditures eligible for 
92.28 	revenue under Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 125A.76, subdivision 2.
92.29 	(h) For the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf and the Minnesota State Academy 
92.30 	for the Blind, expenditures under paragraphs (f) and (g) are limited to the salary and 
92.31 	fringe benefits of one-to-one instructional and behavior management aides and one-to-one 
92.32 	licensed, certified professionals assigned to a child attending the academy, if the aides or 
92.33 	professionals are required by the child's individualized education program.
92.34 	(i) "Cross subsidy reduction aid percentage" means 1.0 percent for fiscal year 2014 
92.35 	and 2.27 percent for fiscal year 2015.
93.1 	(j) "Cross subsidy reduction aid limit" means $20 for fiscal year 2014 and $48 
93.2 	for fiscal year 2015.
93.3 	(k) "Special education aid increase limit" means $80 for fiscal year 2016, $100 for 
93.4 	fiscal year 2017, and, for fiscal year 2018 and later, the sum of the special education aid 
93.5 	increase limit for the previous fiscal year and $40.
93.6 	(l) "District" means a school district, a charter school, or a cooperative unit as 
93.7 	defined in section 123A.24, subdivision 2. Notwithstanding section 123A.26, cooperative 
93.8 	units as defined in section 123A.24, subdivision 2, are eligible to receive special education 
93.9 	aid under this section and section 125A.79.

93.10 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for fiscal year 2016 and later.

93.11 	Sec. 24. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 125A.76, subdivision 2c, is amended to read:
93.12 		Subd. 2c.Special education aid. (a) For fiscal year 2014 and fiscal year 2015, a 
93.13 	district's special education aid equals the sum of the district's special education aid under 
93.14 	subdivision 5, the district's cross subsidy reduction aid under subdivision 2b, and the 
93.15 	district's excess cost aid under section 125A.79, subdivision 7.
93.16 	(b) For fiscal year 2016 and later, a district's special education aid equals the sum of 
93.17 	the district's special education initial aid under subdivision 2a and the district's excess cost 
93.18 	aid under section 125A.79, subdivision 5.
93.19 	(c) Notwithstanding paragraph (b), for fiscal year 2016, the special education aid for 
93.20 	a school district must not exceed the sum of the special education aid the district would 
93.21 	have received for fiscal year 2016 under Minnesota Statutes 2012, sections 125A.76 
93.22 	and 125A.79, as adjusted according to Minnesota Statutes 2012, sections 125A.11 and 
93.23 	127A.47, subdivision 7, and the product of the district's average daily membership served 
93.24 	and the special education aid increase limit.
93.25 	(d) Notwithstanding paragraph (b), for fiscal year 2017 and later, the special education 
93.26 	aid for a school district must not exceed the sum of: (i) the product of the district's average 
93.27 	daily membership served and the special education aid increase limit and (ii) the product 
93.28 	of the sum of the special education aid the district would have received for fiscal year 2016 
93.29 	under Minnesota Statutes 2012, sections 125A.76 and 125A.79, as adjusted according 
93.30 	to Minnesota Statutes 2012, sections 125A.11 and 127A.47, subdivision 7, the ratio of 
93.31 	the district's average daily membership served for the current fiscal year to the district's 
93.32 	average daily membership served for fiscal year 2016, and the program growth factor.
93.33 	(e) Notwithstanding paragraph (b), for fiscal year 2016 and later the special 
93.34 	education aid for a school district, not including a charter school or cooperative unit as 
93.35 	defined in section 123A.24, must not be less than the lesser of (1) the district's nonfederal 
94.1 	special education expenditures for that fiscal year or (2) the product of the sum of the 
94.2 	special education aid the district would have received for fiscal year 2016 under Minnesota 
94.3 	Statutes 2012, sections 125A.76 and 125A.79, as adjusted according to Minnesota Statutes 
94.4 	2012, sections 125A.11 and 127A.47, subdivision 7, the ratio of the district's adjusted 
94.5 	daily membership for the current fiscal year to the district's average daily membership for 
94.6 	fiscal year 2016, and the program growth factor.
94.7 	(f) Notwithstanding subdivision 2a and section 125A.79, a charter school in its first 
94.8 	year of operation shall generate special education aid based on current year data. A newly 
94.9 	formed cooperative unit as defined in section 123A.24 may apply to the commissioner 
94.10 	for approval to generate special education aid for its first year of operation based on 
94.11 	current year data, with an offsetting adjustment to the prior year data used to calculate aid 
94.12 	for programs at participating school districts or previous cooperatives that were replaced 
94.13 	by the new cooperative.

94.14 	Sec. 25. SPECIAL EDUCATION FORMS; READING LEVEL.
 94.15 	The Department of Education must use existing budgetary resources to determine 
94.16 	the current reading level of its special education forms, establish a target reading level for 
94.17 	such forms, and, based on that target level, determine whether alternative forms are needed 
94.18 	to accommodate the lexical and sublexical cognitive processes of individual form users 
94.19 	and readers. The department must work with interested special education stakeholders and 
94.20 	reading experts in making the determinations and identification required in this section.

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

94.22 	Sec. 26.  REPEALER.
 94.23 	Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 125A.63, subdivision 1, is repealed.

94.24 	ARTICLE 4
94.25 	FACILITIES AND TECHNOLOGY

94.26 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 125B.26, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
94.27 		Subd. 2.E-rates. To be eligible for aid under this section, a district, charter school, 
94.28 	or intermediate school district is required to file an e-rate application either separately or 
94.29 	through its telecommunications access cluster and have a current technology plan on file 
94.30 	with the department. Discounts received on telecommunications expenditures shall be 
94.31 	reflected in the costs submitted to the department for aid under this section.

95.1 	ARTICLE 5
95.2 	EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

95.3 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.165, subdivision 2, is amended to 
95.4 	read:
95.5 		Subd. 2.Family eligibility. (a) For a family to receive an early learning scholarship, 
95.6 	parents or guardians must meet the following eligibility requirements:
95.7 	(1) have a child three or four years of age on September 1 of the current school year, 
95.8 	who has not yet started kindergarten; and
95.9 	(2) have income equal to or less than 185 percent of federal poverty level income 
95.10 	in the current calendar year, or be able to document their child's current participation in 
95.11 	the free and reduced-price lunch program or child and adult care food program, National 
95.12 	School Lunch Act, United States Code, title 42, sections 1751 and 1766; the Food 
95.13 	Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, Food and Nutrition Act, United States 
95.14 	Code, title 7, sections 2011-2036; Head Start under the federal Improving Head Start for 
95.15 	School Readiness Act of 2007; Minnesota family investment program under chapter 256J; 
95.16 	child care assistance programs under chapter 119B; the supplemental nutrition assistance 
95.17 	program; or placement in foster care under section 260C.212.
95.18 	(b) Notwithstanding the other provisions of this section, a parent under age 21 who 
95.19 	is pursuing a high school or general education equivalency diploma or postsecondary 
95.20 	education or training is eligible for an early learning scholarship if the parent has a child 
95.21 	age zero to five years old and meets the income eligibility guidelines in this subdivision.
95.22 	(c) Any siblings between the ages zero to five years old of a child who has been 
95.23 	awarded a scholarship under this section must be awarded a scholarship upon request, 
95.24 	provided the sibling attends the same program as long as funds are available.
95.25 	(d) Beginning September 1, 2015, any child under the age of five years old on 
95.26 	September 1 of the current school year who has not started kindergarten and is a recipient 
95.27 	of an Early Learning Scholarship funded under the federal Race to the Top - Early 
95.28 	Learning Challenge Grant must receive a scholarship under this section at the end of the 
95.29 	child's Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge Grant scholarship in an equal amount 
95.30 	as long as funds are available.
95.31 	(d) (e) A child who has received a scholarship under this section must continue to 
95.32 	receive a scholarship each year until that child is eligible for kindergarten under section 
95.33 	120A.20 and as long as funds are available.
95.34 	(e) (f) Early learning scholarships may not be counted as earned income for the 
95.35 	purposes of medical assistance under chapter 256B, MinnesotaCare under chapter 256L, 
96.1 	Minnesota family investment program under chapter 256J, child care assistance programs 
96.2 	under chapter 119B, or Head Start under the federal Improving Head Start for School 
96.3 	Readiness Act of 2007.

96.4 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.165, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
96.5 		Subd. 3.Administration. (a) The commissioner shall establish application 
96.6 	timelines and determine the schedule for awarding scholarships that meets operational 
96.7 	needs of eligible families and programs. 
96.8 	(b) The commissioner may prioritize applications on factors including:
96.9 	(1) family income,; 
96.10 	(2) geographic location,; and
96.11 	(3) whether the child's family child:
96.12 	(i) is in foster care;
96.13 	(ii) is experiencing homelessness; 
96.14 	(iii) is on a waiting list for a publicly funded program providing early education 
96.15 	or child care services; or 
96.16 	(iv) has a parent under age 21 who is pursuing a high school or general education 
96.17 	equivalency diploma or postsecondary education or training.
96.18 	(b) (c) For fiscal years 2014 and 2015 only, scholarships may not exceed $5,000 
96.19 	per year for each eligible child. For fiscal year 2016 and later, the commissioner shall 
96.20 	establish a target for the average scholarship amount per child based on the results of the 
96.21 	rate survey conducted under section 119B.02.
96.22 	(c) (d) A four-star rated program that has children eligible for a scholarship enrolled 
96.23 	in or on a waiting list for a program beginning in July, August, or September may notify 
96.24 	the commissioner, in the form and manner prescribed by the commissioner, each year 
96.25 	of the program's desire to enhance program services or to serve more children than 
96.26 	current funding provides. The commissioner may designate a predetermined number of 
96.27 	scholarship slots for that program and notify the program of that number. Beginning July 
96.28 	1, 2016, a school district or Head Start program qualifying under this paragraph may 
96.29 	use its established registration process to enroll scholarship recipients and may verify a 
96.30 	scholarship recipient's family income in the same manner as for other program participants.
96.31 	(d) (e) A scholarship is awarded for a 12-month period. If the scholarship recipient 
96.32 	has not been accepted and subsequently enrolled in a rated program within tensix months 
96.33 	of the awarding of the scholarship, the scholarship cancels and the recipient must reapply 
96.34 	in order to be eligible for another scholarship. A child may not be awarded more than one 
96.35 	scholarship in a 12-month period.
97.1 	(e) (f) A child who receives a scholarship who has not completed development 
97.2 	screening under sections 121A.16 to 121A.19 must complete that screening within 90 
97.3 	days of first attending an eligible program.
97.4 	(f) (g) For fiscal year 2017 and later, a school district or Head Start program enrolling 
97.5 	scholarship recipients under paragraph (c) (d) may apply to the commissioner, in the form 
97.6 	and manner prescribed by the commissioner, for direct payment of state aid. Upon receipt 
97.7 	of the application, the commissioner must pay each program directly for each approved 
97.8 	scholarship recipient enrolled under paragraph (c) (d) according to the metered payment 
97.9 	system or another schedule established by the commissioner.

97.10 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for fiscal year 2016 and later.

97.11 	Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.165, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
97.12 		Subd. 4.Early childhood program eligibility. (a) In order to be eligible to accept 
97.13 	an early learning scholarship, a program must:
97.14 	(1) participate in the quality rating and improvement system under section 
97.15 	124D.142; and
97.16 	(2) beginning July 1, 2016, have a three- or four-star rating in the quality rating 
97.17 	and improvement system.
97.18 	(b) Any program accepting scholarships must use the revenue to supplement and not 
97.19 	supplant federal funding.
97.20 	(c) (b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), all Minnesota early learning foundation 
97.21 	scholarship program pilot sites are eligible to accept an early learning scholarship under 
97.22 	this section.
97.23 	(c) A provider is not eligible to participate in the scholarship program under this 
97.24 	section if: 
97.25 	(1) the provider has been disqualified from receiving payment for child care services 
97.26 	from the child care assistance program under chapter 119B due to wrongfully obtaining 
97.27 	child care assistance under section 256.98, subdivision 8, paragraph (c);
97.28 	(2) the program or individual is currently on the national disqualified list for the 
97.29 	Child and Adult Care Food Program; or
97.30 	(3) the program or provider has been convicted of any activity that occurred during 
97.31 	the past seven years indicating a lack of business integrity, including fraud, making false 
97.32 	statements, receiving stolen property, making false claims, or obstruction of justice. 

97.33 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for fiscal year 2016 and later.

98.1 	Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.165, is amended by adding a 
98.2 	subdivision to read:
98.3 		Subd. 4a.Record-keeping requirements. A program participating under this 
98.4 	section must maintain and make available upon request by the commissioner of education 
98.5 	attendance records and records of charges and payments for all children participating in 
98.6 	this program, including payments from sources other than this program.

98.7 	Sec. 5. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.165, is amended by adding a 
98.8 	subdivision to read:
98.9 		Subd. 6.Use of funds. (a) Scholarships must be used to supplement and not 
98.10 	supplant federal funding.
98.11 	(b) A scholarship must be used in a program that the child attends on a regular basis 
98.12 	respective to that program's schedule in order to ensure the child's access to the general 
98.13 	curriculum of the program.

98.14 	ARTICLE 6
98.15 	STATE AGENCIES

98.16 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 120B.12, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
98.17 		Subd. 2.Identification; report. For the 2011-2012 school year and later, each school 
98.18 	district shall identify before the end of kindergarten, grade 1, and grade 2 students who are 
98.19 	not reading at grade level before the end of the current school year. Reading assessments 
98.20 	in English, and in the predominant languages of district students where practicable, must 
98.21 	identify and evaluate students' areas of academic need related to literacy. The district also 
98.22 	must monitor the progress and provide reading instruction appropriate to the specific needs 
98.23 	of English learners. The district must use a locally adopted, developmentally appropriate, 
98.24 	and culturally responsive assessment and annually report summary assessment results to 
98.25 	the commissioner by July 1in the report required under section 120B.11, subdivision 5.

98.26 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 122A.414, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
98.27 		Subd. 3.Report; continued funding. (a) Participating districts, intermediate 
98.28 	school districts, school sites, and charter schools must report on the implementation and 
98.29 	effectiveness of the alternative teacher professional pay system, particularly addressing 
98.30 	each requirement under subdivision 2 and make annual recommendations by June 15 
98.31 	to their school boards. The school board or board of directors shall transmit include a 
98.32 	copy of the report with a summary of the findings and recommendations of the district, 
99.1 	intermediate school district, school site, or charter school to the commissioner in the report 
99.2 	required under section 120B.11, subdivision 5.
99.3 	(b) If the commissioner determines that a school district, intermediate school district, 
99.4 	school site, or charter school that receives alternative teacher compensation revenue is not 
99.5 	complying with the requirements of this section, the commissioner may withhold funding 
99.6 	from that participant. Before making the determination, the commissioner must notify the 
99.7 	participant of any deficiencies and provide the participant an opportunity to comply.

99.8 	Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 122A.60, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
99.9 		Subd. 4.Staff development report. (a) By October 15 of each year, The district 
99.10 	and site staff development committees shall write and submit a report of staff development 
99.11 	activities and expenditures for the previous year, in the form and manner determined by 
99.12 	the commissioner to be included in the report required under section 120B.11, subdivision 
99.13 	5. The report, signed by the district superintendent and staff development chair, must 
99.14 	include assessment and evaluation data indicating progress toward district and site staff 
99.15 	development goals based on teaching and learning outcomes, including the percentage 
99.16 	of teachers and other staff involved in instruction who participate in effective staff 
99.17 	development activities under subdivision 3.
99.18 	(b) The report must break down expenditures for:
99.19 	(1) curriculum development and curriculum training programs; and
99.20 	(2) staff development training models, workshops, and conferences, and the cost of 
99.21 	releasing teachers or providing substitute teachers for staff development purposes.
99.22 	The report also must indicate whether the expenditures were incurred at the district 
99.23 	level or the school site level, and whether the school site expenditures were made possible 
99.24 	by grants to school sites that demonstrate exemplary use of allocated staff development 
99.25 	revenue. These expenditures must be reported using the uniform financial and accounting 
99.26 	and reporting standards.
99.27 	(c) The commissioner shall report the staff development progress and expenditure 
99.28 	data to the house of representatives and senate committees having jurisdiction over 
99.29 	education by February 15 1 each year.

99.30 	Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 123A.24, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
99.31 		Subdivision 1.Distribution of assets and liabilities. (a) If a district withdraws 
99.32 	from a cooperative unit defined in subdivision 2, the distribution of assets and assignment 
99.33 	of liabilities to the withdrawing district shall be determined according to this subdivision.
100.1 	(b) The withdrawing district remains responsible for its share of debt incurred by the 
100.2 	cooperative unit according to section 123B.02, subdivision 3. The district and cooperative 
100.3 	unit may mutually agree, through a board resolution by each, to terms and conditions of 
100.4 	the distribution of assets and the assignment of liabilities.
100.5 	(c) If the cooperative unit and the district cannot agree on the terms and conditions, 
100.6 	the commissioner shall resolve the dispute by determining the district's proportionate share 
100.7 	of assets and liabilities based on the district's enrollment, financial contribution, usage, or 
100.8 	other factor or combination of factors determined appropriate by the commissioner. If the 
100.9 	dispute requires the commissioner to involve an administrative law judge, any fees due 
100.10 	to the Office of Administrative Hearings must be equally split between the district and 
100.11 	cooperative unit. The assets must be disbursed to the withdrawing district in a manner 
100.12 	that minimizes financial disruption to the cooperative unit.
100.13 	(d) Assets related to an insurance pool shall not be disbursed to a member district 
100.14 	under paragraph (c).

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

100.16 	Sec. 5. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 123B.77, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
100.17 		Subd. 3.Statement for comparison and correction. (a) By November 30 15 of the 
100.18 	calendar year of the submission of the unaudited financial data, the district must provide to 
100.19 	the commissioner audited financial data for the preceding fiscal year. The audit must be 
100.20 	conducted in compliance with generally accepted governmental auditing standards, the 
100.21 	federal Single Audit Act, and the Minnesota legal compliance guide issued by the Office 
100.22 	of the State Auditor. An audited financial statement prepared in a form which will allow 
100.23 	comparison with and correction of material differences in the unaudited financial data shall 
100.24 	be submitted to the commissioner and the state auditor by December 31 15. The audited 
100.25 	financial statement must also provide a statement of assurance pertaining to uniform 
100.26 	financial accounting and reporting standards compliance and a copy of the management 
100.27 	letter submitted to the district by the school district's auditor.
100.28 	(b) By February 15 1 of the calendar year following the submission of the unaudited 
100.29 	financial data, the commissioner shall convert the audited financial data required by this 
100.30 	subdivision into the consolidated financial statement format required under subdivision 1a 
100.31 	and publish the information on the department's Web site.

100.32 	Sec. 6. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 125A.75, subdivision 9, is amended to read:
100.33 		Subd. 9.Litigation costs; annual report. (a) By November 30 of each year, 
100.34 	a school district must annually report the district's special education litigation costs, 
101.1 	including attorney fees and costs of due process hearings, to the commissioner of 
101.2 	education, consistent with the Uniform Financial Accounting and Reporting Standards.
101.3 	(b) By January 15 February 1 of each year, the commissioner shall report school 
101.4 	district special education litigation costs to the house of representatives and the senate 
101.5 	committees having jurisdiction over kindergarten through grade 12 education finance.

101.6 	Sec. 7. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 127A.05, subdivision 6, is amended to read:
101.7 		Subd. 6.Survey of districts. The commissioner of education shall survey the state's 
101.8 	school districts and teacher preparation programs and report to the education committees 
101.9 	of the legislature by January 15 February 1 of each odd-numbered year on the status of 
101.10 	teacher early retirement patterns, the teacher shortage, and the substitute teacher shortage, 
101.11 	including patterns and shortages in subject areas and regions of the state. The report must 
101.12 	also include how districts are making progress in hiring teachers and substitutes in the 
101.13 	areas of shortage and a five-year projection of teacher demand for each district.

101.14 	Sec. 8. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 127A.05, is amended by adding a subdivision 
101.15 	to read:
101.16 		Subd. 7.Annual reports. The commissioner of education may combine into 
101.17 	one report to be delivered annually by February 1 to the legislative committees with 
101.18 	jurisdiction over education policy and finance the following reports:
101.19 	(1) dangerous weapons and disciplinary incidents under section 121A.06;
101.20 	(2) staff development under section 122A.60, subdivision 4;
101.21 	(3) achievement and integration plan evaluation under section 124D.861, subdivision 
101.22 	5;
101.23 	(4) reducing the use of restrictive procedures under section 125A.0942, subdivision 3;
101.24 	(5) students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing under section 125A.63, subdivision 4;
101.25 	(6) special education litigation costs under section 125A.75, subdivision 9;
101.26 	(7) teacher supply and demand under subdivision 6; and
101.27 	(8) Minnesota High School League under section 128C.20.

101.28 	Sec. 9. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 127A.353, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
101.29 		Subd. 2.Qualifications. The governor shall select the school trust lands director on 
101.30 	the basis of outstanding professional qualifications and knowledge of finance, business 
101.31 	practices, minerals, forest and real estate management, and the fiduciary responsibilities 
101.32 	of a trustee to the beneficiaries of a trust. The school trust lands director serves in the 
101.33 	unclassified service for a term of four five years. The first term shall end on December 
102.1 	31, 2016 2020. The governor may remove the school trust lands director for cause. If a 
102.2 	director resigns or is removed for cause, the governor shall appoint a director for the 
102.3 	remainder of the term.

102.4 	Sec. 10. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 127A.49, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
102.5 		Subdivision 1.Omissions. No adjustments to any aid payments made pursuant 
102.6 	to this chapter or chapters 120B, 122A, 123A, 123B, 124D, 125A, and 126C resulting 
102.7 	from omissions in district reports, except those adjustments determined by the legislative 
102.8 	auditor, shall be made for any school year after December 30 15 of the next school year, 
102.9 	unless otherwise specifically provided by law.

102.10 	Sec. 11. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 127A.70, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
102.11 		Subdivision 1.Establishment; membership. (a) A P-20 education partnership is 
102.12 	established to create a seamless system of education that maximizes achievements of 
102.13 	all students, from early childhood through elementary, secondary, and postsecondary 
102.14 	education, while promoting the efficient use of financial and human resources. The 
102.15 	partnership shall consist of major statewide educational groups or constituencies or 
102.16 	noneducational statewide organizations with a stated interest in P-20 education. The initial 
102.17 	membership of the partnership includes the members serving on the Minnesota P-16 
102.18 	Education Partnership and four legislators appointed as follows:
102.19 	(1) one senator from the majority party and one senator from the minority party, 
102.20 	appointed by the Subcommittee on Committees of the Committee on Rules and 
102.21 	Administration; and
102.22 	(2) one member of the house of representatives appointed by the speaker of the 
102.23 	house and one member appointed by the minority leader of the house of representatives.
102.24 	(b) The chair of the P-16 education partnership must convene the first meeting 
102.25 	of the P-20 partnership. Prospective members may be nominated by any partnership 
102.26 	member and new members will be added with the approval of a two-thirds majority of the 
102.27 	partnership. The partnership will also seek input from nonmember organizations whose 
102.28 	expertise can help inform the partnership's work.
102.29 	(c) Partnership members shall be represented by the chief executives, presidents, or 
102.30 	other formally designated leaders of their respective organizations, or their designees. The 
102.31 	partnership shall meet at least three times during each calendar year.
102.32 	(d) The P-20 education partnership shall be the state council for the Interstate 
102.33 	Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children under section 127A.85 with 
102.34 	the chair commissioner or commissioner's designee serving as the compact commissioner 
103.1 	responsible for the administration and management of the state's participation in the 
103.2 	compact. When conducting business required under section 127A.85, the P-20 partnership 
103.3 	shall include a representative from a military installation appointed by the adjutant general 
103.4 	of the Minnesota National Guard.

103.5 	ARTICLE 7
103.6 	CHARTER SCHOOL STATUTES RECODIFICATION

103.7 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.10, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
103.8 		Subdivision 1.Purposes. (a) The primary purpose of this section is to improve all 
103.9 	pupil learning and all student achievement. Additional purposes include to:
103.10 	(1) increase learning opportunities for all pupils;
103.11 	(2) encourage the use of different and innovative teaching methods;
103.12 	(3) measure learning outcomes and create different and innovative forms of 
103.13 	measuring outcomes;
103.14 	(4) establish new forms of accountability for schools; or
103.15 	(5) create new professional opportunities for teachers, including the opportunity to 
103.16 	be responsible for the learning program at the school site.
103.17 	(b) This section does not provide a means to keep open a school that a school board 
103.18 	decides to close. However, a school board may endorse or authorize the establishing of 
103.19 	a charter school to replace the school the board decided to close. Applicants seeking a 
103.20 	charter under this circumstance must demonstrate to the authorizer that the charter sought 
103.21 	is substantially different in purpose and program from the school the board closed and 
103.22 	that the proposed charter satisfies the requirements of this subdivision. If the school 
103.23 	board that closed the school authorizes the charter, it must document in its affidavit to the 
103.24 	commissioner that the charter is substantially different in program and purpose from 
103.25 	the school it closed.
103.26 	(c) An authorizer shall not approve an application submitted by a charter school 
103.27 	developer under subdivision 4, paragraph (a), if the application does not comply with this 
103.28 	subdivision. The commissioner shall not approve an affidavit submitted by an authorizer 
103.29 	under subdivision 4, paragraph (b), if the affidavit does not comply with this subdivision.

103.30 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.10, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
103.31 		Subd. 3.Authorizer. (a) For purposes of this section, the terms defined in this 
103.32 	subdivision have the meanings given them.
104.1 	"Application" to receive approval as an authorizer means the proposal an eligible 
104.2 	authorizer submits to the commissioner under paragraph (c) (d) before that authorizer is 
104.3 	able to submit any affidavit to charter to a school.
104.4 	"Application" under subdivision 4 means the charter school business plan a 
104.5 	school developer submits to an authorizer for approval to establish a charter school that 
104.6 	documents the school developer's mission statement, school purposes, program design, 
104.7 	financial plan, governance and management structure, and background and experience, 
104.8 	plus any other information the authorizer requests. The application also shall include a 
104.9 	"statement of assurances" of legal compliance prescribed by the commissioner.
104.10 	"Affidavit" means a written statement the authorizer submits to the commissioner 
104.11 	for approval to establish a charter school under subdivision 4 attesting to its review and 
104.12 	approval process before chartering a school.
104.13 	(b) The following organizations may authorize one or more charter schools:
104.14 	(1) a school board, intermediate school district school board, or education district 
104.15 	organized under sections 123A.15 to 123A.19;
104.16 	(2) a charitable organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code 
104.17 	of 1986, excluding a nonpublic sectarian or religious institution; any person other than a 
104.18 	natural person that directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, controls, 
104.19 	is controlled by, or is under common control with the nonpublic sectarian or religious 
104.20 	institution; and any other charitable organization under this clause that in the federal IRS 
104.21 	Form 1023, Part IV, describes activities indicating a religious purpose, that:
104.22 	(i) is a member of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits or the Minnesota Council on 
104.23 	Foundations;
104.24 	(ii) is registered with the attorney general's office; and
104.25 	(iii) is incorporated in the state of Minnesota and has been operating continuously 
104.26 	for at least five years but does not operate a charter school;
104.27 	(3) a Minnesota private college, notwithstanding clause (2), that grants two- or 
104.28 	four-year degrees and is registered with the Minnesota Office of Higher Education under 
104.29 	chapter 136A; community college, state university, or technical college governed by the 
104.30 	Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities; or the University 
104.31 	of Minnesota;
104.32 	(4) a nonprofit corporation subject to chapter 317A, described in section 317A.905, 
104.33 	and exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code 
104.34 	of 1986, may authorize one or more charter schools if the charter school has operated 
104.35 	for at least three years under a different authorizer and if the nonprofit corporation has 
104.36 	existed for at least 25 years; or
105.1 	(5) single-purpose authorizers formed as charitable, nonsectarian organizations 
105.2 	under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and incorporated in the state 
105.3 	of Minnesota under chapter 317A as a corporation with no members or under section 
105.4 	322B.975 as a nonprofit limited liability company for the sole purpose of chartering schools.
105.5 	(c) Eligible organizations interested in being approved as an authorizer under this 
105.6 	paragraph must submit a proposal to the commissioner that includes the provisions 
105.7 	of paragraph (c) (d) and a five-year financial plan. Such authorizers shall consider and 
105.8 	approve charter school applications using the criteria provided in subdivision 4 and shall 
105.9 	not limit the applications it solicits, considers, or approves to any single curriculum, 
105.10 	learning program, or method.
105.11 	(c) (d) An eligible authorizer under this subdivision must apply to the commissioner 
105.12 	for approval as an authorizer before submitting any affidavit to the commissioner to charter 
105.13 	a school. The application for approval as a charter school authorizer must demonstrate 
105.14 	the applicant's ability to implement the procedures and satisfy the criteria for chartering a 
105.15 	school under this section. The commissioner must approve or disapprove an application 
105.16 	within 45 business days of the application deadline. If the commissioner disapproves 
105.17 	the application, the commissioner must notify the applicant of the specific deficiencies 
105.18 	in writing and the applicant then has 20 business days to address the deficiencies to the 
105.19 	commissioner's satisfaction. After the 20 business days expire, the commissioner has 15 
105.20 	business days to make a final decision to approve or disapprove the application. Failing to 
105.21 	address the deficiencies to the commissioner's satisfaction makes an applicant ineligible to 
105.22 	be an authorizer. The commissioner, in establishing criteria for approval, must consider 
105.23 	the applicant's:
105.24 	(1) capacity and infrastructure;
105.25 	(2) application criteria and process;
105.26 	(3) contracting process;
105.27 	(4) ongoing oversight and evaluation processes; and
105.28 	(5) renewal criteria and processes.
105.29 	(d) (e) An applicant must include in its application to the commissioner to be an 
105.30 	approved authorizer at least the following:
105.31 	(1) how chartering schools is a way for the organization to carry out its mission;
105.32 	(2) a description of the capacity of the organization to serve as an authorizer, 
105.33 	including the personnel who will perform the authorizing duties, their qualifications, the 
105.34 	amount of time they will be assigned to this responsibility, and the financial resources 
105.35 	allocated by the organization to this responsibility;
106.1 	(3) a description of the application and review process the authorizer will use to 
106.2 	make decisions regarding the granting of charters;
106.3 	(4) a description of the type of contract it will arrange with the schools it charters 
106.4 	that meets the provisions of subdivision 6;
106.5 	(5) the process to be used for providing ongoing oversight of the school consistent 
106.6 	with the contract expectations specified in clause (4) that assures that the schools chartered 
106.7 	are complying with both the provisions of applicable law and rules, and with the contract;
106.8 	(6) a description of the criteria and process the authorizer will use to grant expanded 
106.9 	applications under subdivision 4, paragraph (j) (s);
106.10 	(7) the process for making decisions regarding the renewal or termination of 
106.11 	the school's charter based on evidence that demonstrates the academic, organizational, 
106.12 	and financial competency of the school, including its success in increasing student 
106.13 	achievement and meeting the goals of the charter school agreement; and
106.14 	(8) an assurance specifying that the organization is committed to serving as an 
106.15 	authorizer for the full five-year term.
106.16 	(e) (f) A disapproved applicant under this section may resubmit an application 
106.17 	during a future application period.
106.18 	(f) (g) If the governing board of an approved authorizer votes to withdraw as 
106.19 	an approved authorizer for a reason unrelated to any cause under subdivision 23, the 
106.20 	authorizer must notify all its chartered schools and the commissioner in writing by July 
106.21 	15 of its intent to withdraw as an authorizer on June 30 in the next calendar year. The 
106.22 	commissioner may approve the transfer of a charter school to a new authorizer under this 
106.23 	paragraph after the new authorizer submits an affidavit to the commissioner.
106.24 	(g) (h) The authorizer must participate in department-approved training.
106.25 	(h) (i) The commissioner shall review an authorizer's performance every five years 
106.26 	in a manner and form determined by the commissioner and may review an authorizer's 
106.27 	performance more frequently at the commissioner's own initiative or at the request of a 
106.28 	charter school operator, charter school board member, or other interested party. The 
106.29 	commissioner, after completing the review, shall transmit a report with findings to the 
106.30 	authorizer.
106.31 	(j) If, consistent with this section, the commissioner finds that an authorizer has not 
106.32 	fulfilled the requirements of this section, the commissioner may subject the authorizer 
106.33 	to corrective action, which may include terminating the contract with the charter school 
106.34 	board of directors of a school it chartered. The commissioner must notify the authorizer 
106.35 	in writing of any findings that may subject the authorizer to corrective action and 
106.36 	the authorizer then has 15 business days to request an informal hearing before the 
107.1 	commissioner takes corrective action. If the commissioner terminates a contract between 
107.2 	an authorizer and a charter school under this paragraph, the commissioner may assist the 
107.3 	charter school in acquiring a new authorizer.
107.4 	(i) (k) The commissioner may at any time take corrective action against an 
107.5 	authorizer, including terminating an authorizer's ability to charter a school for:
107.6 	(1) failing to demonstrate the criteria under paragraph (c) (d) under which the 
107.7 	commissioner approved the authorizer;
107.8 	(2) violating a term of the chartering contract between the authorizer and the charter 
107.9 	school board of directors;
107.10 	(3) unsatisfactory performance as an approved authorizer; or
107.11 	(4) any good cause shown that provides the commissioner a legally sufficient reason 
107.12 	to take corrective action against an authorizer.

107.13 	Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.10, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
107.14 		Subd. 4.Formation of school. (a) An authorizer, after receiving an application from 
107.15 	a school developer, may charter a licensed teacher under section 122A.18, subdivision 
107.16 	1, or a group of individuals that includes one or more licensed teachers under section 
107.17 	122A.18, subdivision 1, to operate a school subject to the commissioner's approval of the 
107.18 	authorizer's affidavit under paragraph (b) (d).
107.19 	(b) The school must be organized and operated as a nonprofit corporation under 
107.20 	chapter 317A and the provisions under the applicable chapter shall apply to the school 
107.21 	except as provided in this section.
107.22 	(c) Notwithstanding sections 465.717 and 465.719, a school district, subject to this 
107.23 	section and section 124D.11, may create a corporation for the purpose of establishing a 
107.24 	charter school.
107.25 	(b) (d) Before the operators may establish and operate a school, the authorizer must 
107.26 	file an affidavit with the commissioner stating its intent to charter a school. An authorizer 
107.27 	must file a separate affidavit for each school it intends to charter. An authorizer must file 
107.28 	an affidavit by May 1 to be able to charter a new school in the next school year after the 
107.29 	commissioner approves the authorizer's affidavit. The affidavit must state the terms and 
107.30 	conditions under which the authorizer would charter a school and how the authorizer 
107.31 	intends to oversee the fiscal and student performance of the charter school and to comply 
107.32 	with the terms of the written contract between the authorizer and the charter school 
107.33 	board of directors under subdivision 6. The commissioner must approve or disapprove 
107.34 	the authorizer's affidavit within 60 business days of receipt of the affidavit. If the 
107.35 	commissioner disapproves the affidavit, the commissioner shall notify the authorizer of 
108.1 	the deficiencies in the affidavit and the authorizer then has 20 business days to address the 
108.2 	deficiencies. The commissioner must notify the authorizer of final approval or disapproval 
108.3 	within 15 business days after receiving the authorizer's response to the deficiencies in the 
108.4 	affidavit. If the authorizer does not address deficiencies to the commissioner's satisfaction, 
108.5 	the commissioner's disapproval is final. Failure to obtain commissioner approval precludes 
108.6 	an authorizer from chartering the school that is the subject of this affidavit.
108.7 	(c) (e) The authorizer may prevent an approved charter school from opening for 
108.8 	operation if, among other grounds, the charter school violates this section or does not meet 
108.9 	the ready-to-open standards that are part of the authorizer's oversight and evaluation 
108.10 	process or are stipulated in the charter school contract.
108.11 	(d) (f) The operators authorized to organize and operate a school, before entering 
108.12 	into a contract or other agreement for professional or other services, goods, or facilities, 
108.13 	must incorporate as a nonprofit corporation under chapter 317A and.
108.14 	(g) The operators authorized to organize and operate a school, before entering into a 
108.15 	contract or other agreement for professional or other services, goods, or facilities, must 
108.16 	establish a board of directors composed of at least five members who are not related parties 
108.17 	until a timely election for members of the ongoing charter school board of directors is 
108.18 	held according to the school's articles and bylaws under paragraph (f) (l). A charter school 
108.19 	board of directors must be composed of at least five members who are not related parties.
108.20 	(h) Staff members employed at the school, including teachers providing instruction 
108.21 	under a contract with a cooperative, members of the board of directors, and all parents 
108.22 	or legal guardians of children enrolled in the school are the voters eligible to elect the 
108.23 	members of the school's board of directors. A charter school must notify eligible voters of 
108.24 	the school board election dates at least 30 days before the election.
108.25 	(i) Board of director meetings must comply with chapter 13D.
108.26 	(e) (j) A charter school shall publish and maintain on the school's official Web site: 
108.27 	(1) the minutes of meetings of the board of directors, and of members and committees 
108.28 	having any board-delegated authority, for at least one calendar year from the date 
108.29 	of publication; (2) directory information for members of the board of directors and 
108.30 	committees having board-delegated authority; and (3) identifying and contact information 
108.31 	for the school's authorizer. Identifying and contact information for the school's authorizer 
108.32 	must be included in other school materials made available to the public.
108.33 	(k) Upon request of an individual, the charter school must also make available in 
108.34 	a timely fashion financial statements showing all operations and transactions affecting 
108.35 	income, surplus, and deficit during the school's last annual accounting period; and a 
108.36 	balance sheet summarizing assets and liabilities on the closing date of the accounting 
109.1 	period. A charter school also must include that same information about its authorizer in 
109.2 	other school materials that it makes available to the public.
109.3 	(f) (l) Every charter school board member shall attend annual training throughout 
109.4 	the member's term on the board. All new board members shall attend initial training on 
109.5 	the board's role and responsibilities, employment policies and practices, and financial 
109.6 	management. A new board member who does not begin the required initial training within 
109.7 	six months after being seated and complete that training within 12 months of being seated 
109.8 	on the board is automatically ineligible to continue to serve as a board member. The 
109.9 	school shall include in its annual report the training attended by each board member 
109.10 	during the previous year.
109.11 	(g) (m) The ongoing board must be elected before the school completes its third 
109.12 	year of operation. Board elections must be held during the school year but may not be 
109.13 	conducted on days when the school is closed for holidays, breaks, or vacations.
109.14 	(n) The charter school board of directors shall be composed of at least five nonrelated 
109.15 	members and include: (i) at least one licensed teacher employed as a teacher at the school 
109.16 	or providing instruction under contract between the charter school and a cooperative; (ii) 
109.17 	at least one parent or legal guardian of a student enrolled in the charter school who is not 
109.18 	an employee of the charter school; and (iii) at least one interested community member 
109.19 	who resides in Minnesota and is not employed by the charter school and does not have a 
109.20 	child enrolled in the school. The board may include a majority of teachers described in 
109.21 	this paragraph or parents or community members, or it may have no clear majority. The 
109.22 	chief financial officer and the chief administrator may only serve as ex-officio nonvoting 
109.23 	board members. No charter school employees shall serve on the board other than teachers 
109.24 	under item (i). Contractors providing facilities, goods, or services to a charter school shall 
109.25 	not serve on the board of directors of the charter school.
109.26 	(o) Board bylaws shall outline the process and procedures for changing the board's 
109.27 	governance structure, consistent with chapter 317A. A board may change its governance 
109.28 	structure only:
109.29 	(1) by a majority vote of the board of directors and a majority vote of the licensed 
109.30 	teachers employed by the school as teachers, including licensed teachers providing 
109.31 	instruction under a contract between the school and a cooperative; and
109.32 	(2) with the authorizer's approval.
109.33 	Any change in board governance structure must conform with the composition of 
109.34 	the board established under this paragraph.
109.35 	(h) (p) The granting or renewal of a charter by an authorizer must not be conditioned 
109.36 	upon the bargaining unit status of the employees of the school.
110.1 	(i) (q) The granting or renewal of a charter school by an authorizer must not be 
110.2 	contingent on the charter school being required to contract, lease, or purchase services 
110.3 	from the authorizer.
110.4 	(r) Any potential contract, lease, or purchase of service from an authorizer must 
110.5 	be disclosed to the commissioner, accepted through an open bidding process, and be a 
110.6 	separate contract from the charter contract. The school must document the open bidding 
110.7 	process. An authorizer must not enter into a contract to provide management and financial 
110.8 	services for a school that it authorizes, unless the school documents that it received at 
110.9 	least two competitive bids.
110.10 	(j) (s) A charter school may apply to the authorizer to amend the school charter to 
110.11 	expand the operation of the school to additional grades or sites that would be students' 
110.12 	primary enrollment site beyond those defined in the original affidavit approved by the 
110.13 	commissioner. After approving the school's application, the authorizer shall submit a 
110.14 	supplementary affidavit in the form and manner prescribed by the commissioner. The 
110.15 	authorizer must file a supplement affidavit by October 1 to be eligible to expand in the next 
110.16 	school year. The supplementary affidavit must document that the school has demonstrated 
110.17 	to the satisfaction of the authorizer the following:
110.18 	(1) the need for the expansion with supporting long-range enrollment projections;
110.19 	(2) a longitudinal record of demonstrated student academic performance and growth 
110.20 	on statewide assessments under chapter 120B or on other academic assessments that 
110.21 	measure longitudinal student performance and growth approved by the charter school's 
110.22 	board of directors and agreed upon with the authorizer;
110.23 	(3) a history of sound school finances and a finance plan to implement the expansion 
110.24 	in a manner to promote the school's financial sustainability; and
110.25 	(4) board capacity and an administrative and management plan to implement its 
110.26 	expansion.
110.27 	(k) (t) The commissioner shall have 30 business days to review and comment on the 
110.28 	supplemental affidavit. The commissioner shall notify the authorizer in writing of any 
110.29 	deficiencies in the supplemental affidavit and the authorizer then has 20 business days to 
110.30 	address, to the commissioner's satisfaction, any deficiencies in the supplemental affidavit. 
110.31 	The commissioner must notify the authorizer of final approval or disapproval within 15 
110.32 	business days after receiving the authorizer's response to the deficiencies in the affidavit. 
110.33 	The school may not expand grades or add sites until the commissioner has approved the 
110.34 	supplemental affidavit. The commissioner's approval or disapproval of a supplemental 
110.35 	affidavit is final.

111.1 	Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.10, subdivision 8, is amended to read:
111.2 		Subd. 8.Federal, state, and local requirements. (a) A charter school shall meet all 
111.3 	federal, state, and local health and safety requirements applicable to school districts.
111.4 	(b) A school must comply with statewide accountability requirements governing 
111.5 	standards and assessments in chapter 120B.
111.6 	(c) A school authorized by a school board may be located in any district, unless the 
111.7 	school board of the district of the proposed location disapproves by written resolution.
111.8 	(d) A charter school must be nonsectarian in its programs, admission policies, 
111.9 	employment practices, and all other operations. An authorizer may not authorize a charter 
111.10 	school or program that is affiliated with a nonpublic sectarian school or a religious 
111.11 	institution. 
111.12 	(e) A charter school student must be released for religious instruction, consistent 
111.13 	with section 120A.22, subdivision 12, clause (3).
111.14 	(e) (f) Charter schools must not be used as a method of providing education or 
111.15 	generating revenue for students who are being home-schooled. This paragraph does not 
111.16 	apply to shared time aid under section 126C.19.
111.17 	(f) (g) The primary focus of a charter school must be to provide a comprehensive 
111.18 	program of instruction for at least one grade or age group from five through 18 years of age. 
111.19 	Instruction may be provided to people older than 18 years of age. A charter school may 
111.20 	offer a free preschool or prekindergarten that meets high-quality early learning instructional 
111.21 	program standards that are aligned with Minnesota's early learning standards for children.
111.22 	(g) (h) A charter school may not charge tuition.
111.23 	(h) (i) A charter school is subject to and must comply with chapter 363A and section 
111.24 	121A.04.
111.25 	(i) (j) Once a student is enrolled in the school, the student is considered enrolled 
111.26 	in the school until the student formally withdraws or is expelled under the Pupil Fair 
111.27 	Dismissal Act in sections 121A.40 to 121A.56. A charter school is subject to and must 
111.28 	comply with the Pupil Fair Dismissal Act, sections 121A.40 to 121A.56, and.
111.29 	(k) A charter school is subject to and must comply with the Minnesota Public School 
111.30 	Fee Law, sections 123B.34 to 123B.39.
111.31 	(j) (l) A charter school is subject to the same financial audits, audit procedures, and 
111.32 	audit requirements as a district, except as required under subdivision 6a. Audits must be 
111.33 	conducted in compliance with generally accepted governmental auditing standards, the 
111.34 	federal Single Audit Act, if applicable, and section 6.65. A charter school is subject 
111.35 	to and must comply with sections 15.054; 118A.01; 118A.02; 118A.03; 118A.04; 
111.36 	118A.05; 118A.06; 471.38; 471.391; 471.392; and 471.425. The audit must comply with 
112.1 	the requirements of sections 123B.75 to 123B.83, except to the extent deviations are 
112.2 	necessary because of the program at the school. Deviations must be approved by the 
112.3 	commissioner and authorizer. The Department of Education, state auditor, legislative 
112.4 	auditor, or authorizer may conduct financial, program, or compliance audits. A charter 
112.5 	school determined to be in statutory operating debt under sections 123B.81 to 123B.83 
112.6 	must submit a plan under section 123B.81, subdivision 4.
112.7 	(k) (m) A charter school is a district for the purposes of tort liability under chapter 466.
112.8 	(l) (n) A charter school must comply with chapters 13 and 13D; and sections 
112.9 	120A.22, subdivision 7; 121A.75; and 260B.171, subdivisions 3 and 5.
112.10 	(m) (o) A charter school is subject to the Pledge of Allegiance requirement under 
112.11 	section 121A.11, subdivision 3.
112.12 	(n) (p) A charter school offering online courses or programs must comply with 
112.13 	section 124D.095.
112.14 	(o) (q) A charter school and charter school board of directors are subject to chapter 
112.15 	181.
112.16 	(p) (r) A charter school must comply with section 120A.22, subdivision 7, governing 
112.17 	the transfer of students' educational records and sections 138.163 and 138.17 governing 
112.18 	the management of local records.
112.19 	(q) (s) A charter school that provides early childhood health and developmental 
112.20 	screening must comply with sections 121A.16 to 121A.19.
112.21 	(r) (t) A charter school that provides school-sponsored youth athletic activities 
112.22 	must comply with section 121A.38.
112.23 	(s) (u) A charter school is subject to and must comply with continuing truant 
112.24 	notification under section 260A.03.
112.25 	(t) (v) A charter school must develop and implement a teacher evaluation and 
112.26 	peer review process under section 122A.40, subdivision 8, paragraph (b), clauses (2) to 
112.27 	(13). The teacher evaluation process in this paragraph does not create any additional 
112.28 	employment rights for teachers.
112.29 	(u) (w) A charter school must adopt a policy, plan, budget, and process, consistent 
112.30 	with section 120B.11, to review curriculum, instruction, and student achievement and 
112.31 	strive for the world's best workforce.
112.32 	(v) (x) A charter school must comply with section 121A.031 governing policies on 
112.33 	prohibited conduct.
112.34 	(w) (y) A charter school must comply with all pupil transportation requirements in 
112.35 	section 123B.88, subdivision 1. A charter school must not require parents to surrender 
112.36 	their rights to pupil transportation under section 123B.88, subdivision 2.

113.1 	Sec. 5. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.11, subdivision 9, is amended to read:
113.2 		Subd. 9.Payment of aids to charter schools. (a) Notwithstanding section 
113.3 	127A.45, subdivision 3, if the current year aid payment percentage under section 
113.4 	127A.45, subdivision 2, paragraph (d), is 90 or greater, aid payments for the current 
113.5 	fiscal year to a charter school shall be of an equal amount on each of the 24 payment 
113.6 	dates. Notwithstanding section 127A.45, subdivision 3, if the current year aid payment 
113.7 	percentage under section 127A.45, subdivision 2, paragraph (d), is less than 90, aid 
113.8 	payments for the current fiscal year to a charter school shall be of an equal amount on 
113.9 	each of the 16 payment dates in July through February.
113.10 	(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) and section 127A.45, for a charter school ceasing 
113.11 	operation on or prior to June 30 of a school year, for the payment periods occurring after 
113.12 	the school ceases serving students, the commissioner shall withhold the estimated state aid 
113.13 	owed the school. The charter school board of directors and authorizer must submit to the 
113.14 	commissioner a closure plan under chapter 308A or 317A, and financial information about 
113.15 	the school's liabilities and assets. After receiving the closure plan, financial information, 
113.16 	an audit of pupil counts, documentation of lease expenditures, and monitoring of special 
113.17 	education expenditures, the commissioner may release cash withheld and may continue 
113.18 	regular payments up to the current year payment percentages if further amounts are 
113.19 	owed. If, based on audits and monitoring, the school received state aid in excess of the 
113.20 	amount owed, the commissioner shall retain aid withheld sufficient to eliminate the aid 
113.21 	overpayment. For a charter school ceasing operations prior to, or at the end of, a school 
113.22 	year, notwithstanding section 127A.45, subdivision 3, preliminary final payments may 
113.23 	be made after receiving the closure plan, audit of pupil counts, monitoring of special 
113.24 	education expenditures, documentation of lease expenditures, and school submission of 
113.25 	Uniform Financial Accounting and Reporting Standards (UFARS) financial data for the 
113.26 	final year of operation. Final payment may be made upon receipt of audited financial 
113.27 	statements under section 123B.77, subdivision 3.
113.28 	(c) If a charter school fails to comply with the commissioner's directive to return, 
113.29 	for cause, federal or state funds administered by the department, the commissioner may 
113.30 	withhold an amount of state aid sufficient to satisfy the directive.
113.31 	(d) If, within the timeline under section 471.425, a charter school fails to pay the state 
113.32 	of Minnesota, a school district, intermediate school district, or service cooperative after 
113.33 	receiving an undisputed invoice for goods and services, the commissioner may withhold 
113.34 	an amount of state aid sufficient to satisfy the claim and shall distribute the withheld 
113.35 	aid to the interested state agency, school district, intermediate school district, or service 
113.36 	cooperative. An interested state agency, school district, intermediate school district, or 
114.1 	education cooperative shall notify the commissioner when a charter school fails to pay an 
114.2 	undisputed invoice within 75 business days of when it received the original invoice.
114.3 	(e) Notwithstanding section 127A.45, subdivision 3, and paragraph (a), 80 percent 
114.4 	of the start-up cost aid under subdivision 8 shall be paid within 45 days after the first day 
114.5 	of student attendance for that school year.
114.6 	(f) (e) In order to receive state aid payments under this subdivision, a charter school 
114.7 	in its first three years of operation must submit a school calendar in the form and manner 
114.8 	requested by the department and a quarterly report to the Department of Education. The 
114.9 	report must list each student by grade, show the student's start and end dates, if any, 
114.10 	with the charter school, and for any student participating in a learning year program, 
114.11 	the report must list the hours and times of learning year activities. The report must be 
114.12 	submitted not more than two weeks after the end of the calendar quarter to the department. 
114.13 	The department must develop a Web-based reporting form for charter schools to use 
114.14 	when submitting enrollment reports. A charter school in its fourth and subsequent year of 
114.15 	operation must submit a school calendar and enrollment information to the department in 
114.16 	the form and manner requested by the department.
114.17 	(g) (f) Notwithstanding sections 317A.701 to 317A.791, upon closure of a charter 
114.18 	school and satisfaction of creditors, cash and investment balances remaining shall be 
114.19 	returned to the state.
114.20 	(h) (g) A charter school must have a valid, signed contract under section 124D.10, 
114.21 	subdivision 6, on file at the Department of Education at least 15 days prior to the date of 
114.22 	first payment of state aid for the fiscal year.
114.23 	(i) (h) State aid entitlements shall be computed for a charter school only for the 
114.24 	portion of a school year for which it has a valid, signed contract under section 124D.10, 
114.25 	subdivision 6.

114.26 	Sec. 6. REVISOR'S INSTRUCTION.
 114.27 	The revisor of statutes shall renumber the provisions of Minnesota Statutes listed 
114.28 	in column A to the references listed in column B. The revisor of statutes may alter the 
114.29 	renumbering to incorporate statutory changes made during the 2015 regular legislative 
114.30 	session. The revisor shall also make necessary cross-reference changes in Minnesota 
114.31 	Statutes and Minnesota Rules consistent with the renumbering in this instruction and the 
114.32 	relettering of paragraphs in sections 1 to 5.

114.33		Column A
	Column B
	
114.34		124D.10, subd. 1, paragraph (a)
	124E.01, subd. 1
	
114.35		124D.10, subd. 1, paragraph (b)
	124E.06, subd. 3, paragraph (d)
	
115.1		124D.10, subd. 1, paragraph (c)
	124E.06, subd. 1, paragraph (b)
	
115.2		124D.10, subd. 2
	124E.01, subd. 2
	
115.3		124D.10, subd. 3, paragraph (a)
	124E.02, paragraph (a)
	
115.4		124D.10, subd. 3, paragraph (b)
	124E.05, subd. 1
	
115.5		124D.10, subd. 3, paragraph (c)
	124E.05, subd. 2, paragraph (a)
	
115.6		124D.10, subd. 3, paragraph (d)
	124E.05, subd. 3, paragraph (a)
	
115.7		124D.10, subd. 3, paragraph (e)
	124E.05, subd. 4
	
115.8		124D.10, subd. 3, paragraph (f)
	124E.05, subd. 3, paragraph (b)
	
115.9		124D.10, subd. 3, paragraph (g)
	124E.05, subd. 7
	
115.10		124D.10, subd. 3, paragraph (h)
	124E.05, subd. 2, paragraph (b)
	
115.11		124D.10, subd. 3, paragraph (i)
	124E.05, subd. 5
	
115.12		124D.10, subd. 3, paragraph (j)
	124E.05, subd. 6, paragraph (a)
	
115.13		124D.10, subd. 3, paragraph (k)
	124E.05, subd. 6, paragraph (b)
	
115.14		124D.10, subd. 4, paragraph (a)
	124E.06, subd. 1, paragraph (a)
	
115.15		124D.10, subd. 4, paragraph (b)
	124E.06, subd. 2, paragraph (a)
	
115.16		124D.10, subd. 4, paragraph (c)
	124E.06, subd. 2, paragraph (c)
	
115.17		124D.10, subd. 4, paragraph (d)
	124E.06, subd. 4
	
115.18		124D.10, subd. 4, paragraph (e)
	124E.06, subd. 3, paragraph (g)
	
115.19		124D.10, subd. 4, paragraph (f)
	124E.06, subd. 2, paragraph (b)
	
115.20		124D.10, subd. 4, paragraph (g)
	124E.07, subd. 1
	
115.21		124D.10, subd. 4, paragraph (h)
	124E.07, subd. 5
	
115.22		124D.10, subd. 4, paragraph (i)
	124E.07, subd. 8, paragraph (a)
	
115.23		124D.10, subd. 4, paragraph (j)
	124E.07, subd. 8, paragraph (b)
	
115.24		124D.10, subd. 4, paragraph (k)
	124E.17, subd. 2
	
115.25		124D.10, subd. 4, paragraph (l)
	124E.07, subd. 7
	
115.26		124D.10, subd. 4, paragraph (m)
	124E.07, subd. 2
	
115.27		124D.10, subd. 4, paragraph (n)
	124E.07, subd. 3, paragraph (a)
	
115.28		124D.10, subd. 4, paragraph (o)
	124E.07, subd. 4
	
115.29		124D.10, subd. 4, paragraph (p)
	124E.10, subd. 2, paragraph (c)
	
115.30		124D.10, subd. 4, paragraph (q)
	124E.10, subd. 2, paragraph (b)
	
115.31		124D.10, subd. 4, paragraph (r)
	124E.10, subd. 2, paragraph (a)
	
115.32		124D.10, subd. 4, paragraph (s)
	124E.06, subd. 5, paragraph (a)
	
115.33		124D.10, subd. 4, paragraph (t)
	124E.06, subd. 5, paragraph (b)
	
115.34		124D.10, subd. 4a, paragraph (a)
	124E.07, subd. 3, paragraph (b)
	
115.35		124D.10, subd. 4a, paragraph (b)
	124E.14, paragraph (a)
	
115.36		124D.10, subd. 4a, paragraph (c)
	124E.07, subd. 3, paragraph (c)
	
115.37		124D.10, subd. 4a, paragraph (d)
	124E.07, subd. 3, paragraph (d)
	
115.38		124D.10, subd. 4a, paragraph (e)
	124E.14, paragraph (b)
	
115.39		124D.10, subd. 4a, paragraph (f)
	124E.14, paragraph (c)
	
115.40		124D.10, subd. 5
	124E.06, subd. 6
	
115.41		124D.10, subd. 6
	124E.10, subd. 1, paragraph (a)
	
115.42
115.43		124D.10, subd. 6a
	124E.16, subd. 1, paragraphs (b) to 
(e)
	
115.44		124D.10, subd. 7
	124E.03, subd. 1
	
116.1		124D.10, subd. 8, paragraph (a)
	124E.03, subd. 2, paragraph (a)
	
116.2		124D.10, subd. 8, paragraph (b)
	124E.03, subd. 2, paragraph (b)
	
116.3		124D.10, subd. 8, paragraph (c)
	124E.06, subd. 3, paragraph (e)
	
116.4		124D.10, subd. 8, paragraph (d)
	124E.06, subd. 3, paragraph (b)
	
116.5		124D.10, subd. 8, paragraph (e)
	124E.03, subd. 4, paragraph (a)
	
116.6		124D.10, subd. 8, paragraph (f)
	124E.06, subd. 3, paragraph (c)
	
116.7		124D.10, subd. 8, paragraph (g)
	124E.06, subd. 3, paragraph (a)
	
116.8		124D.10, subd. 8, paragraph (h)
	124E.06, subd. 3, paragraph (f)
	
116.9		124D.10, subd. 8, paragraph (i)
	124E.03, subd. 4, paragraph (b)
	
116.10		124D.10, subd. 8, paragraph (j)
	124E.11, paragraph (g)
	
116.11		124D.10, subd. 8, paragraph (k)
	124E.03, subd. 2, paragraph (c)
	
116.12		124D.10, subd. 8, paragraph (l)
	124E.16, subd. 1, paragraph (a)
	
116.13		124D.10, subd. 8, paragraph (m)
	124E.03, subd. 2, paragraph (d)
	
116.14		124D.10, subd. 8, paragraph (n)
	124E.03, subd. 5, paragraph (a)
	
116.15		124D.10, subd. 8, paragraph (o)
	124E.03, subd. 2, paragraph (e)
	
116.16		124D.10, subd. 8, paragraph (p)
	124E.03, subd. 7, paragraph (a)
	
116.17		124D.10, subd. 8, paragraph (q)
	124E.03, subd. 2, paragraph (f)
	
116.18		124D.10, subd. 8, paragraph (r)
	124E.03, subd. 5, paragraph (b)
	
116.19		124D.10, subd. 8, paragraph (s)
	124E.03, subd. 7, paragraph (b)
	
116.20		124D.10, subd. 8, paragraph (t)
	124E.03, subd. 7, paragraph (c)
	
116.21		124D.10, subd. 8, paragraph (u)
	124E.03, subd. 2, paragraph (g)
	
116.22		124D.10, subd. 8, paragraph (v)
	124E.03, subd. 2, paragraph (h)
	
116.23		124D.10, subd. 8, paragraph (w)
	124E.03, subd. 2, paragraph (i)
	
116.24		124D.10, subd. 8, paragraph (x)
	124E.03, subd. 4, paragraph (c)
	
116.25		124D.10, subd. 8, paragraph (y)
	124E.15, paragraph (a)
	
116.26		124D.10, subd. 8a
	124E.25, subd. 3, paragraph (a)
	
116.27		124D.10, subd. 8b
	124E.25, subd. 3, paragraph (b)
	
116.28		124D.10, subd. 9
	124E.11, paragraphs (a) to (f)
	
116.29		124D.10, subd. 10
	124E.10, subd. 1, paragraph (b)
	
116.30		124D.10, subd. 11, paragraph (a)
	124E.12, subd. 1
	
116.31		124D.10, subd. 11, paragraph (b)
	124E.12, subd. 2
	
116.32		124D.10, subd. 11, paragraph (c)
	124E.07, subd. 6
	
116.33		124D.10, subd. 11, paragraph (d)
	124E.12, subd. 5
	
116.34		124D.10, subd. 12
	124E.03, subd. 3
	
116.35		124D.10, subd. 13
	124E.03, subd. 6
	
116.36		124D.10, subd. 14
	124E.16, subd. 2
	
116.37
116.38		124D.10, subd. 15, paragraphs (a) 
to (e)
	124E.10, subd. 3, paragraphs (a) to 
(e)
	
116.39		124D.10, subd. 15, paragraph (f)
	124E.05, subd. 8
	
116.40		124D.10, subd. 16
	124E.15, paragraphs (b) to (d)
	
116.41		124D.10, subd. 17
	124E.13, subd. 1
	
116.42		124D.10, subd. 17a
	124E.13, subd. 3
	
116.43		124D.10, subd. 17b
	124E.13, subd. 4
	
116.44		124D.10, subd. 19
	124E.17, subd. 1
	
117.1		124D.10, subd. 20
	124E.12, subd. 6
	
117.2		124D.10, subd. 21
	124E.12, subd. 3
	
117.3		124D.10, subd. 22
	124E.12, subd. 4
	
117.4
117.5		124D.10, subd. 23, paragraphs (a) 
and (b)
	124E.10, subd. 4, paragraphs (a) and 
(b)
	
117.6		124D.10, subd. 23, paragraph (c)
	124E.10, subd. 5
	
117.7		124D.10, subd. 23, paragraph (d)
	124E.10, subd. 4, paragraph (c)
	
117.8		124D.10, subd. 23a, paragraph (a)
	124E.13, subd. 2, paragraph (a)
	
117.9		124D.10, subd. 23a, paragraph (b)
	124E.02, paragraph (b)
	
117.10		124D.10, subd. 23a, paragraph (c)
	124E.13, subd. 2, paragraph (b)
	
117.11		124D.10, subd. 23a, paragraph (d)
	124E.13, subd. 2, paragraph (c)
	
117.12		124D.10, subd. 24
	124E.10, subd. 6
	
117.13		124D.10, subd. 25
	124E.09
	
117.14		124D.10, subd. 27
	124E.08
	
117.15		124D.11, subd. 1
	124E.20, subd.1
	
117.16		124D.11, subd. 2
	124E.23
	
117.17		124D.11, subd. 3
	124E.20, subd. 2
	
117.18		124D.11, subd. 4
	124E.22
	
117.19		124D.11, subd. 5
	124E.21
	
117.20		124D.11, subd. 6
	124E.24
	
117.21		124D.11, subd. 7
	124E.26
	
117.22		124D.11, subd. 9, paragraph (a)
	124E.25, subd. 1, paragraph (a)
	
117.23		124D.11, subd. 9, paragraph (b)
	124E.25, subd. 1, paragraph (b)
	
117.24		124D.11, subd. 9, paragraph (c)
	124E.25, subd. 4, paragraph (a)
	
117.25		124D.11, subd. 9, paragraph (d)
	124E.25, subd. 4, paragraph (b)
	
117.26		124D.11, subd. 9, paragraph (e)
	124E.25, subd. 2, paragraph (a)
	
117.27		124D.11, subd. 9, paragraph (f)
	124E.25, subd. 1, paragraph (c)
	
117.28		124D.11, subd. 9, paragraph (g)
	124E.25, subd. 2, paragraph (b)
	
117.29		124D.11, subd. 9, paragraph (h)
	124E.25, subd. 2, paragraph (c)