HF 417

as introduced - 85th Legislature (2007 - 2008) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to education; providing for an elementary and middle school years
international baccalaureate pilot program; appropriating money.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1. new text begin ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL YEARS EDUCATION
INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE (IB) PILOT PROGRAM.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Definitions. new text end

new text begin The definitions in this subdivision apply to this section.
new text end

new text begin (a) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of the Department of Education.
new text end

new text begin (b) "Instructional year" is one year of full-time instruction under the IB program
for a given grade level.
new text end

new text begin (c) "International baccalaureate" or "IB" means an academic curriculum for
elementary and middle school years approved by the International Baccalaureate
Organization.
new text end

new text begin (d) "Pilot program" means a research and evaluation project introducing the
elementary and middle school years IB program and measuring the effect of this integrated
curriculum on student learning.
new text end

new text begin (e) "School district" means Special School District No. 6, South St. Paul.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Five-year program. new text end

new text begin This section provides funding for a five-year pilot
program in a district with an established IB program to assess the benefits of implementing
IB primary-level and intermediate-level programs across an entire district and to measure
its effectiveness in improving student performance and academic achievement.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Pilot program plan. new text end

new text begin (a) The school district must file a plan with the
commissioner for introducing the elementary and middle school years IB programs into
general use in the district, including a detailed cost analysis, schedule of preparatory
activities, in-service for teachers, and curriculum and instructional materials. The plan
must include the costs for startup and annual operation, instructional goals, implementation
plan, learning outcomes, and timelines for achieving this implementation.
new text end

new text begin (b) Upon approval of the implementation and evaluation plan and budget by the
school board of the school district and the commissioner, the commissioner shall authorize
payment of funds to the district in an amount up to the annual limit of the appropriation.
new text end

new text begin (c) Funds received under this section from any source must be used for the purposes
of this section and may not be used for unrelated curriculum, instruction or operating
expense purposes, or capital improvements.
new text end

new text begin (d) The pilot program must begin no later than the beginning of the 2007-2008
school year and be completed by the end of the 2011-2012 school year.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Reporting requirements. new text end

new text begin (a) By September 1 of each instructional year
following introduction of the curriculum and for the duration of the pilot program, the
school district must report to the commissioner and the public on the funds expended,
performance level achieved by students in the program, and overall progress made toward
accomplishing the goals of the program.
new text end

new text begin (b) At the completion of the final year of the pilot program, a comprehensive
assessment of the success of the project will be prepared with the assistance of the
Department of Education and provided to the house of representatives and senate
committees having jurisdiction over kindergarten through grade 12 education.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Department of Education. new text end

new text begin The sums indicated in this section are
appropriated to the Department of Education for the fiscal years indicated.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Elementary and middle school years international baccalaureate (IB)
pilot program. new text end

new text begin For the elementary and middle school years IB pilot program:
new text end

	new text begin $ new text end	new text begin 750,000 new text end	new text begin ..... new text end	new text begin 2008 new text end
	new text begin $ new text end	new text begin 400,000 new text end	new text begin ..... new text end	new text begin 2009 new text end

new text begin Of this amount, up to $750,000 may be used for preinstructional startup costs,
including staff, training, curriculum materials, and preparation costs.
new text end

new text begin Up to $400,000 may be used for operating costs for school instructional years one
through five.
new text end

new text begin Any balance remaining in the first year does not cancel but is available in the second
year.
new text end

new text begin Costs for testing, other assessment, and preparation of the annual report must be
paid from school district funds.
new text end

new text begin At the conclusion of the pilot program, the school district must decide whether to
continue the IB program and to pay all costs for continuing the curriculum.
new text end