HF 185

as introduced - 81st Legislature (1999 - 2000) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to education; creating a pilot program to 
  1.3             examine the effect of allowing elementary and middle 
  1.4             school teachers to remain with their students for 
  1.5             multiple, consecutive school years; appropriating 
  1.6             money. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  [PILOT PROGRAM TO ALLOW ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE 
  1.9   SCHOOL TEACHERS TO REMAIN WITH THEIR STUDENTS FOR MULTIPLE, 
  1.10  CONSECUTIVE SCHOOL YEARS.] 
  1.11     Subdivision 1.  [ESTABLISHMENT.] A pilot program for fiscal 
  1.12  years 2000 and 2001 is established to provide eligible school 
  1.13  districts and elementary and middle schools with the opportunity 
  1.14  to examine the effect of allowing classroom teachers to remain 
  1.15  with their elementary or middle school students for multiple, 
  1.16  consecutive school years.  The program is intended to provide 
  1.17  participating school districts and elementary and middle schools 
  1.18  with sufficient flexibility in scheduling and staff assignments 
  1.19  to permit classroom teachers to remain with their elementary or 
  1.20  middle school students for multiple, consecutive school years in 
  1.21  order to enhance the educational interrelationship and 
  1.22  performance of the teacher and the teacher's students, and 
  1.23  parents' involvement with their child's school. 
  1.24     Subd. 2.  [ELIGIBILITY.] An applicant to participate in the 
  1.25  pilot program must be a school district or an elementary or 
  1.26  middle school.  To be eligible to participate, an applicant must 
  2.1   have the ability to schedule classes and assign staff to permit 
  2.2   elementary or middle school students to remain with the same 
  2.3   classroom teacher for multiple, consecutive school years and the 
  2.4   school facility must be able to accommodate schedules and 
  2.5   assignments altered as a result of the program.  The applicant 
  2.6   also must evaluate the educational impact of enabling a 
  2.7   classroom teacher to remain with his or her elementary or middle 
  2.8   school students for multiple, consecutive school years and how 
  2.9   that multiyear relationship affects the educational performance 
  2.10  of the teacher and the teacher's students and parents' 
  2.11  involvement with their child's school. 
  2.12     Subd. 3.  [APPLICATION PROCESS.] To be designated as a 
  2.13  pilot site, a school district or an elementary or middle school 
  2.14  must submit an application to the commissioner of the department 
  2.15  of children, families, and learning in the form and manner the 
  2.16  commissioner establishes.  The application must describe how the 
  2.17  applicant will schedule classes and assign staff to permit 
  2.18  elementary or middle school students to remain with the same 
  2.19  classroom teacher for multiple, consecutive school years, how 
  2.20  the school facility can accommodate schedules and assignments 
  2.21  altered as a result of the applicant participating in the pilot 
  2.22  program, and how the applicant intends to evaluate the 
  2.23  educational impact of that multiyear relationship on the 
  2.24  educational performance of the teacher and the teacher's 
  2.25  students and on parents' involvement in their child's school.  
  2.26  The commissioner may require additional information from the 
  2.27  applicant. 
  2.28     Subd. 4.  [REVIEWING APPLICATIONS.] When reviewing 
  2.29  applications, the commissioner shall determine whether the 
  2.30  requirements in subdivisions 2 and 3 are met.  The commissioner 
  2.31  also may use the following criteria when reviewing the 
  2.32  applications: 
  2.33     (1) how teachers approach classroom management; 
  2.34     (2) how students are included in the classroom and the 
  2.35  school; 
  2.36     (3) how parents are encouraged to participate; 
  3.1      (4) whether and how summertime learning is encouraged; and 
  3.2      (5) what emphasis is given to and oversight provided for 
  3.3   student attendance, student involvement in school activities, 
  3.4   student performance, and parent involvement in students' 
  3.5   education. 
  3.6      Subd. 5.  [SELECTION OF PILOT SITES; REVENUE.] The 
  3.7   commissioner may select up to ten pilot sites, which must be 
  3.8   located throughout the state and include comparable numbers of 
  3.9   elementary and middle school students.  The commissioner shall 
  3.10  provide each of the pilot sites a proportionate amount of the 
  3.11  appropriation available for this section, based upon the number 
  3.12  of participating teachers and students.  Applicants shall use 
  3.13  the revenue they receive to determine the effect of allowing 
  3.14  classroom teachers to remain with their elementary or middle 
  3.15  school students for multiple, consecutive school years. 
  3.16     Subd. 6.  [EVALUATION.] The commissioner shall assist each 
  3.17  of the pilot sites in evaluating the educational impact of 
  3.18  allowing classroom teachers to remain with their elementary or 
  3.19  middle school students for multiple, consecutive school years.  
  3.20  The commissioner shall recommend to the education committees of 
  3.21  the legislature by January 15, 2002, whether or not multiyear 
  3.22  teacher-student relationships enhance the educational 
  3.23  performance of the teacher and the teacher's students, or 
  3.24  increase parents' involvement with their child's school. 
  3.25     Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  3.26     $....... is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  3.27  commissioner of the department of children, families, and 
  3.28  learning in fiscal year 2000 for the purposes of section 1.  Any 
  3.29  money not expended in fiscal year 2000 does not cancel and is 
  3.30  available in fiscal year 2001.