1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to higher education; creating a grant program for postsecondary institutions 
1.3 	offering graduate training for teachers of concurrent enrollment courses; requiring 
1.4 	reports; appropriating money;proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, 
1.5 	chapter 136A.
1.6 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.7 	Section 1. [136A.1277] GRANTS TO POSTSECONDARY INSTITUTIONS FOR 
1.8 	CONCURRENT ENROLLMENT INSTRUCTOR TRAINING.
1.9 		Subdivision 1.Establishment. The commissioner shall establish a program to award 
1.10 	grants to postsecondary institutions to provide courses at the master's level or higher for 
1.11 	concurrent enrollment instructors teaching in Minnesota secondary schools. This program 
1.12 	must address the Higher Learning Commission's professional development qualification 
1.13 	standards used to document the qualifications of a concurrent enrollment instructor as a 
1.14 	content expert with competence to teach discipline-specific content in the classroom.
1.15 		Subd. 2.Application process. (a) The commissioner shall develop an application process 
1.16 	for awarding grants. In awarding grants, the commissioner shall consider the needs of 
1.17 	concurrent enrollment instructors throughout the state in accessing graduate course offerings.
1.18 	(b) The grant application must include:
1.19 	(1) a description of the prospective course offering reflective of the need for the course 
1.20 	by concurrent enrollment instructors in the discipline-specific content area;
1.21 	(2) a description of the participant recruitment process to be coordinated with school 
1.22 	sites offering concurrent enrollment courses and the postsecondary institutions sponsoring 
1.23 	those sites;
2.1 	(3) a timeline for implementation of the course offering;
2.2 	(4) a description of measures necessary to address the dispersed geographic location of 
2.3 	participating concurrent enrollment instructors; and
2.4 	(5) other information at the discretion of the commissioner.
2.5 	(c) The commissioner may establish an advisory committee to consult on course offerings 
2.6 	and size of grant awards. The members of the committee may include representatives from 
2.7 	the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, the University of Minnesota, other 
2.8 	postsecondary institutions, and others deemed appropriate by the commissioner.
2.9 		Subd. 3.Grants. (a) The commissioner shall award grants to accredited postsecondary 
2.10 	institutions to provide courses at the master's level or higher in discipline-specific content 
2.11 	areas. The mode of course delivery must meet the needs of working professionals across 
2.12 	the state.
2.13 	(b) Grant funds may be used:
2.14 	(1) to offset up to 80 percent of the tuition and fee costs for course enrollees;
2.15 	(2) for books and instructional materials for course enrollees; and
2.16 	(3) for program administration, including course development, assessing the need for 
2.17 	course offerings, participant recruitment, and outcome reporting.
2.18 	(c) Grants shall be awarded for up to one year. A postsecondary institution may apply 
2.19 	for and receive more than one grant. A postsecondary institution receiving a grant may use 
2.20 	no more than ten percent of a grant award for program administration under paragraph (b), 
2.21 	clause (3).
2.22 		Subd. 4.Outcome report requirements. Grant recipients shall report on program 
2.23 	outcomes to the commissioner. The report must specify participant attendance, course 
2.24 	completion, and performance outcomes for each course offering. Reports must be submitted 
2.25 	at the conclusion of each course offering.
2.26 		Subd. 5.Report. By February 1 of each year, the commissioner shall submit a report to 
2.27 	the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction 
2.28 	over higher education finance regarding the grant recipients and their activities. The report 
2.29 	shall include information about instructors served, instructors' school sites and sponsoring 
2.30 	concurrent enrollment institutions, courses offered, postsecondary institution grant recipients, 
2.31 	and program expenditures. The report may include recommendations, if any, for legislation 
2.32 	to improve program outcomes.

3.1 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION.
 3.2 	$1,500,000 in fiscal year 2018 and $1,500,000 in fiscal year 2019 are appropriated from 
3.3 	the general fund to the commissioner of the Office of Higher Education to provide course 
3.4 	development grants to postsecondary institutions under Minnesota Statutes, section 
3.5 	136A.1277. The commissioner may use up to three percent of this appropriation for program 
3.6 	administration.