1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; requiring literacy/dyslexia specialists; appropriating 
1.3 	money;amending Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 120B.115; Laws 2015, First 
1.4 	Special Session chapter 3, article 12, section 4, subdivision 2.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 120B.115, is amended to read:
1.7 	120B.115 REGIONAL CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE.
1.8 	(a) Regional centers of excellence are established to assist and support school 
1.9 	boards, school districts, school sites, and charter schools in implementing research-based 
1.10 	interventions and practices to increase the students' achievement within a region. 
1.11 	The centers must develop partnerships with local and regional service cooperatives, 
1.12 	postsecondary institutions, integrated school districts, the department, children's mental 
1.13 	health providers, or other local or regional entities interested in providing a cohesive 
1.14 	and consistent regional delivery system that serves all schools equitably. Centers must 
1.15 	assist school districts, school sites, and charter schools in developing similar partnerships. 
1.16 	Center support may include assisting school districts, school sites, and charter schools 
1.17 	with common principles of effective practice, including:
1.18 	(1) defining measurable education goals under sections 120B.022, subdivisions 1a 
1.19 	and 1b, and 120B.11, subdivision 2;
1.20 	(2) implementing evidence-based practices, including applied and experiential 
1.21 	learning, contextualized learning, competency-based curricula and assessments, and other 
1.22 	nontraditional learning opportunities, among other practices;
1.23 	(3) engaging in data-driven decision-making;
1.24 	(4) providing multilayered levels of support;
2.1 	(5) supporting culturally responsive teaching and learning aligning the development 
2.2 	of academic English proficiency, state and local academic standards, and career and 
2.3 	college readiness benchmarks;
2.4 	(6) engaging parents, families, youth, and local community members in programs 
2.5 	and activities at the school district, school site, or charter school that foster collaboration 
2.6 	and shared accountability for the achievement of all students; and
2.7 	(7) translating district forms and other information such as a multilingual glossary of 
2.8 	commonly used education terms and phrases.
2.9 	Centers must work with school site leadership teams to build the expertise and experience 
2.10 	to implement programs that close the achievement gap, provide effective and differentiated 
2.11 	programs and instruction for different types of English learners, including English learners 
2.12 	with limited or interrupted formal schooling and long-term English learners under section 
2.13 	124D.59, subdivisions 2 and 2a, increase students' progress and growth toward career and 
2.14 	college readiness, and increase student graduation rates.
2.15 	(b) The department must assist the regional centers of excellence to meet staff, 
2.16 	facilities, and technical needs, provide the centers with programmatic support, and work 
2.17 	with the centers to establish a coherent statewide system of regional support, including 
2.18 	consulting, training, and technical support, to help school boards, school districts, school 
2.19 	sites, and charter schools effectively and efficiently implement the world's best workforce 
2.20 	goals under section 120B.11 and other state and federal education initiatives, including 
2.21 	secondary and postsecondary career pathways and technical education.
2.22 	(c) The department must employ a literacy/dyslexia specialist at each regional 
2.23 	center, and a literacy/dyslexia specialist at the department, to provide technical assistance 
2.24 	for dyslexia and related disorders and to serve as the primary source of information 
2.25 	and support for schools in addressing the needs of students with dyslexia and related 
2.26 	disorders. The literacy/dyslexia specialist shall also act to increase professional awareness 
2.27 	and instructional competencies. For purposes of this paragraph, a literacy/dyslexia 
2.28 	specialist is a dyslexia therapist, licensed psychologist, certified psychometrist, licensed 
2.29 	speech-language pathologist, or certified dyslexia training specialist who has a minimum 
2.30 	of three years of field experience in screening, identifying, and treating dyslexia and 
2.31 	related disorders. A literacy/dyslexia specialist shall be highly trained in dyslexia and 
2.32 	related disorders, and in using scientific, evidence-based interventions and treatment, 
2.33 	which incorporate multisensory, systematic, sequential teaching strategies in the areas of 
2.34 	phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension.

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

3.3 	Sec. 2. Laws 2015, First Special Session chapter 3, article 12, section 4, subdivision 2, 
3.4 	is amended to read:
3.5 		Subd. 2.Department. (a) For the Department of Education:

3.6		$  
	21,246,000
	.....
	2016
	
3.7
3.8		$  
	21,973,000
.......
	.....
	2017
	
3.9 	Of these amounts: 
3.10 	(1) $718,000 each year is for the Board of Teaching;
3.11 	(2) $228,000 in fiscal year 2016 and $231,000 in fiscal year 2017 are for the Board 
3.12 	of School Administrators;
3.13 	(3) $1,000,000 each year is for Regional Centers of Excellence under Minnesota 
3.14 	Statutes, section 120B.115;
3.15 	(4) $500,000 each year is for the School Safety Technical Assistance Center under 
3.16 	Minnesota Statutes, section 127A.052; 
3.17 	(5) $250,000 each year is for the School Finance Division to enhance financial 
3.18 	data analysis; and
3.19 	(6) $441,000 in fiscal year 2016 and $720,000 in fiscal year 2017 is for implementing 
3.20 	Laws 2014, chapter 272, article 1, Minnesota's Learning for English Academic Proficiency 
3.21 	and Success Act, as amended.; and
3.22 	(7) $....... in fiscal year 2017 is for employing literacy/dyslexia specialists under 
3.23 	Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.115, paragraph (c). The commissioner must employ 
3.24 	a literacy/dyslexia specialist at the department as soon as practicable, but no later than 
3.25 	September 1, 2016. The commissioner must employ the literacy/dyslexia specialists at 
3.26 	each regional center no later than January 1, 2017.
3.27 	(b) Any balance in the first year does not cancel but is available in the second year. 
3.28 	(c) None of the amounts appropriated under this subdivision may be used for 
3.29 	Minnesota's Washington, D.C. office.
3.30 	(d) The expenditures of federal grants and aids as shown in the biennial budget 
3.31 	document and its supplements are approved and appropriated and shall be spent as 
3.32 	indicated.
3.33 	(e) This appropriation includes funds for information technology project services and 
3.34 	support subject to the provisions of Minnesota Statutes, section 16E.0466. Any ongoing 
3.35 	information technology costs will be incorporated into the service level agreement and 
4.1 	will be paid to the Office of MN.IT Services by the Department of Education under the 
4.2 	rates and mechanism specified in that agreement.
4.3 	(f) The agency's base budget in fiscal year 2018 is $21,973,000 $........ The agency's 
4.4 	base budget in fiscal year 2019 is $21,948,000 $........