HF 638

1st Engrossment - 87th Legislature (2011 - 2012) Posted on 03/16/2011 04:37pm

A bill for an act
relating to education; creating a school grading system; creating a school
recognition program; modifying school report cards; authorizing rulemaking;
requiring a report; amending Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 126C.10,
subdivision 1; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter
120B.

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

Section 1.

new text begin [120B.361] SCHOOL AND DISTRICT GRADING SYSTEM AND
SCHOOL RECOGNITION PROGRAM.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin School and district grades. new text end

new text begin (a) Consistent with the state growth
targets established under sections 120B.299 and 120B.35, subdivision 3, paragraphs (a)
and (b), and the school performance report cards under section 120B.36, subdivision
1, an "A to F" school and district grading system is established to help identify those
schools and districts where students are achieving low, medium, or high growth and
achieving or not achieving proficiency on statewide assessments under section 120B.30.
For purposes of this section, and using the state growth target, the commissioner annually
must grade each public school and district "A" to "F" and then report that grade under
section 120B.36, subdivision 1, based on the following calculations:
new text end

new text begin (1) 50 percent of a school's grade must be determined based on the numbers and
percentages of students in each applicable student category for which assessment data
is disaggregated under section 120B.35, subdivision 3, paragraph (b), clause (2), and
paragraph (c), who achieved proficiency on the statewide reading and mathematics
assessments under section 120B.30 in the previous school year;
new text end

new text begin (2) 25 percent of a school's grade must be determined based on the numbers and
percentages of students in each applicable student category for which assessment data
is disaggregated under section 120B.35, subdivision 3, paragraph (b), clause (2), and
paragraph (c), who achieved low growth, medium growth, or high growth on the statewide
reading and mathematics assessments under section 120B.30 in the previous school year;
new text end

new text begin (3) 15 percent of a school's grade must be determined based on the numbers and
percentages of students in each applicable student category for which assessment data
is disaggregated under section 120B.35, subdivision 3, paragraph (b), clause (2), and
paragraph (c), who achieved low growth and did not achieve proficiency on the statewide
reading assessments under section 120B.30 in the previous school year;
new text end

new text begin (4) ten percent of a school's grade must be determined based on the numbers and
percentages of students in each applicable student category for which assessment data
is disaggregated under section 120B.35, subdivision 3, paragraph (b), clause (2), and
paragraph (c), who achieved low growth and did not achieve proficiency on the statewide
mathematics assessments under section 120B.30 in the previous school year; and
new text end

new text begin (5) using the calculations in clauses (1) to (4), a school district's grade must be
determined based on the combined average scores of all district schools.
new text end

new text begin (b) The grade a school or district receives under this subdivision must accurately
reflect the differences in schools' performances based on students' proficiency and growth
and the calculations required under this subdivision. A school or district may appeal its
grade in writing to the commissioner within 30 days of receiving notice of its grade. The
commissioner's decision regarding the grade is final. Grades given under this section are
nonpublic data under section 13.02, subdivision 9, until not later than ten days after the
appeal under this paragraph is complete.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin School recognition. new text end

new text begin (a) A school that received a letter grade of "A" in
the previous school year, improved at least one letter grade in the previous school year,
or improved two or more letter grades in the two previous school years is eligible to
receive a school recognition award.
new text end

new text begin (b) A school recognition award under this subdivision equals $100 per enrollee for
each eligible school. The commissioner must distribute the award to each eligible school.
new text end

new text begin (c) An eligible school that receives a school recognition award may use the award to:
new text end

new text begin (1) pay onetime bonuses for licensed staff employed at the school;
new text end

new text begin (2) pay onetime expenditures for educational equipment or materials to help
maintain or improve student academic achievement; or
new text end

new text begin (3) temporarily employ licensed or otherwise qualified staff to help maintain or
improve student academic achievement.
new text end

new text begin Notwithstanding other law to the contrary, any award a school receives under this
subdivision is not subject to a collective bargaining agreement.
new text end

new text begin (d) To distribute the award at the school, and consistent with paragraph (c), an
eligible school may select a site team that includes at least the school principal or other
person having administrative control of the school, teachers employed at the school, the
parent of a student enrolled in the school, and a community representative to decide how
best to use the award. Alternatively, if by November 1 in the year in which the award
is made the site team cannot reach agreement or if no site team is selected, the school
principal or other person having administrative control of the school must distribute the
award.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment
and requires the education commissioner to use student performance data beginning in the
2011-2012 school year, determine and report a letter grade for each school and district,
and distribute school recognition awards beginning in the 2012-2013 school year and later.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 126C.10, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

General education revenue.

deleted text begin For fiscal year 2006 and later, deleted text end
The general education revenue for each district equals the sum of the district's basic
revenue, extended time revenue, gifted and talented revenue, basic skills revenue, training
and experience revenue, secondary sparsity revenue, elementary sparsity revenue,
transportation sparsity revenue, total operating capital revenue, equity revenue, alternative
teacher compensation revenue, new text begin school recognition award, new text end and transition revenue.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective for revenue for fiscal year 2013
and later.
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin REPORT; PLAN FOR IMPLEMENTING SCHOOL AND DISTRICT
GRADING SYSTEM.
new text end

new text begin The commissioner of education must convene a stakeholder group that includes
assessment and evaluation directors, educators, and researchers to advise the commissioner
on developing a plan to implement the school and district grading system under Minnesota
Statutes, section 120B.361. The commissioner must present the plan in writing to the
education policy and finance committees of the legislature by February 15, 2012, and
include any recommendations for further clarifying Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.361.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end

Sec. 4. new text begin REPORT; RECOMMENDATIONS FOR INCREASING SCHOOLS'
FINANCIAL FLEXIBILITY.
new text end

new text begin The commissioner of education must submit to the education policy and finance
committees of the legislature by February 1, 2013, written recommendations that identify
fiscal mandates the legislature might waive to give greater financial flexibility to schools
that received a letter grade of "A," improved at least one letter grade in the preceding
school year, or improved two or more letter grades in the two preceding school years
under Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.361, subdivision 1.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end