HF 1225

as introduced - 84th Legislature (2005 - 2006) 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) "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 (b) "School district" means Special School District No. 6,
South St. Paul.
new text end

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

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

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Legislative finding. new text end

new text begin (a) The IB program is an
internationally recognized program of academic studies
emphasizing a rigorous curriculum, advanced student performance,
and development of critical thinking and application skills.
new text end

new text begin (b) Minnesota has nine IB programs at the secondary level,
but as yet no district has adopted this program as the basis for
its elementary course of studies for all students.
new text end

new text begin (c) Special School District No. 6, South St. Paul, has had
an established and successful secondary IB diploma program for
over ten years and is interested in becoming a pilot site for
implementation of the elementary and middle school years IB
programs as a means of advancing student performance.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Purpose. new text end

new text begin The purpose of this section is to
provide 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. 4. new text end

new text begin Pilot project 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 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 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 2006-2007 school year and be completed by the
end of the 2010-2011 school year.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. 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 in the fiscal years indicated.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end [ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL YEARS INTERNATIONAL
BACCALAUREATE (IB) PILOT PROGRAM.] new text begin For the elementary and middle
school years IB pilot program:
new text end

new text begin $750,000 new text end new text begin ..... new text end new text begin 2006
new text end

new text begin $400,000 new text end new text begin ..... new text end new text begin 2007
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