HF 842

as introduced - 88th Legislature (2013 - 2014) Posted on 02/22/2013 01:56pm

A bill for an act
relating to higher education; regulating the summer bridge program; amending
Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 135A.61; repealing Minnesota Statutes 2012,
section 136A.121, subdivision 9b.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 135A.61, is amended to read:

135A.61 HIGH SCHOOL-TO-COLLEGE DEVELOPMENTAL TRANSITION
deleted text begin PROGRAMS deleted text end new text begin PROGRAM GRANTS new text end .

Subdivision 1.

High school-to-college developmental transition deleted text begin programs
deleted text end new text begin program grants new text end .

deleted text begin All public higher education systems and other higher education
institutions in Minnesota are encouraged to offer deleted text end new text begin (a) The director of the Minnesota Office of
Higher Education shall award competitive matching grants to Minnesota public and private
postsecondary institutions offering new text end research-based high school-to-college developmental
transition programs to prepare students for college-level academic coursework. A program
under this section must, at a minimum, include instruction to develop the skills and
abilities necessary to be ready for college-level coursework when the student enrolls in a
degree, diploma, or certificate program and must address the academic skills identified
as needing improvement by a college readiness assessment completed by the student. deleted text begin A
program deleted text end new text begin Developmental courses new text end offered under this section must not constitute more than
the equivalent of one semester of full-time study occurring in the summer following
high school graduation. The courses completed in a program under this section must be
identified on the student's transcript with a unique identifier to distinguish deleted text begin it deleted text end new text begin them new text end from
other developmental education courses or programs. new text begin Courses attended will not count
towards the limit on postsecondary education used for state financial aid programs under
sections 136A.121, subdivision 9, and 136A.125, subdivision 2, paragraph (a), clause (4).
new text end

new text begin Grants must be awarded to programs that provide instruction and services including,
but not limited to:
new text end

new text begin (1) summer developmental courses in academic areas requiring remediation;
new text end

new text begin (2) academic advising, mentoring, and tutoring during the summer program and
throughout the student's first year of enrollment;
new text end

new text begin (3) interaction with student support services, admissions and financial aid offices; and
new text end

new text begin (4) orientation to college life, such as study skills or time management.
new text end

new text begin (b) Grants shall be awarded to eligible postsecondary institutions as defined in
section 136A.103.
new text end

new text begin (c) Grants shall be awarded for one year and may be renewed for a second year
with documentation to the Minnesota Office of Higher Education of successful program
outcomes.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 1a. new text end

new text begin Eligible students. new text end

new text begin (a) Eligible students include students who earned a
high school diploma or its equivalent during the academic year immediately preceding the
summer program and who meet one or more of the following criteria:
new text end

new text begin (1) are counted under section 1124(c) of the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act of 1965 (Title I);
new text end

new text begin (2) are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch under the National School Lunch Act;
new text end

new text begin (3) receive assistance under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Law (Title
I of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996); or
new text end

new text begin (4) are a member of a group traditionally underrepresented in higher education.
new text end

new text begin (b) Eligible students include those who met the student eligibility criteria in the
student's final year of high school and plan to enroll in college the academic year following
high school graduation or its equivalency.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 1b. new text end

new text begin Application process. new text end

new text begin (a) The director of the Minnesota Office of Higher
Education shall develop a grant application process. The director shall attempt to support
projects in a manner that ensures that eligible students throughout the state have access to
program services.
new text end

new text begin (b) The grant application must include, at a minimum, the following information:
new text end

new text begin (1) a description of the characteristics of the students to be served reflective of the
need for services listed in subdivision 1;
new text end

new text begin (2) a description of the services to be provided and a timeline for implementation of
the activities;
new text end

new text begin (3) a description of how the services provided will improve postsecondary readiness
and support postsecondary retention;
new text end

new text begin (4) a description of how the services will be evaluated to determine whether the
program goals were met; and
new text end

new text begin (5) other information as identified by the director.
new text end

new text begin Grant recipients must specify both program and student outcome goals, and
performance measures for each goal.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 1c. new text end

new text begin Match required. new text end

new text begin Applicants are required to match the grant amount
dollar-for-dollar. The match may be in cash or an in-kind contribution.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 1d. new text end

new text begin Review committee. new text end

new text begin The director must establish and convene a grant
selection committee to review applications and award grants. The members of the
committee may include representatives of postsecondary institutions, school districts,
organizations providing college outreach services, and others deemed appropriate by the
director.
new text end

Subd. 2.

High school-to-college developmental transition programs evaluation
report.

(a) Institutions that offer a high school-to-college developmental transition
program deleted text begin and enroll students that receive a grant under section 136A.121, subdivision 9b deleted text end ,
must annually submit data and information about the services provided and program
outcomes to the director of the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

(b) The director must establish and convene a data working group to develop: (1) the
data methodology to be used in evaluating the effectiveness of the programs implemented
to improve the academic performance of participants, including the identification of
appropriate comparison groups; and (2) a timeline for institutions to submit data and
information to the director. The data working group must develop procedures that
ensure consistency in the data collected by each institution. Data group members must
have expertise in data collection processes and the delivery of academic programs to
students, and represent the types of institutions that offer a program under this section.
The data group must assist the director in analyzing and synthesizing institutional data
and information to be included in the evaluation report submitted to the legislature under
subdivision 3.

(c) Participating institutions must specify both program and student outcome goals
and the activities implemented to achieve the goals. The goals must be clearly stated and
measurable, and data collected must enable the director to verify the program has met the
outcome goals established for the program.

(d) The data and information submitted must include, at a minimum, the following:

(1) demographic information about program participants;

(2) names of the high schools from which the students graduated;

(3) the college readiness test used to determine the student was not ready for
college-level academic coursework;

(4) the academic content areas assessed and the scores received by the students on
the college readiness test;

(5) a description of the services, including any supplemental noncredit academic
support services, provided to students;

(6) data on the registration load, courses completed, and grades received by students;

(7) the retention of students from the term they participated in the program to the fall
term immediately following graduation from high school;

(8) information about the student's enrollment in subsequent terms; and

(9) other information specified by the director or the data group that facilitates the
evaluation process.

Subd. 3.

Report to legislature.

By March 15 of each year, deleted text begin beginning in 2011,
deleted text end the director shall submit a report to the committees of the legislature with jurisdiction
over higher education finance and policy that evaluates the effectiveness of programs
in improving the academic performance of students who participated in the transition
programs.

Sec. 2. new text begin REPEALER.
new text end

new text begin Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 136A.121, subdivision 9b, new text end new text begin is repealed.
new text end