HF 1484

as introduced - 87th Legislature (2011 - 2012) Posted on 04/14/2011 11:18am

A bill for an act
relating to education; modifying adult education tracking system; amending
Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 124D.52, subdivision 7.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 124D.52, subdivision 7, is amended to
read:

Subd. 7.

Performance tracking system.

(a) By July 1, 2000, each approved adult
basic education program must develop and implement a performance tracking system to
provide information necessary to comply with federal law and serve as one means of
assessing the effectiveness of adult basic education programs. new text begin For required reporting,
longitudinal studies, and program improvement, new text end the tracking system must be designed to
collect data on the following core outcomes for learners who have completed deleted text begin participation deleted text end new text begin
participating new text end in the adult basic education program:

(1) demonstrated improvements in literacy skill levels in reading, writing, speaking
the English language, numeracy, problem solving, English language acquisition, and
other literacy skills;

(2) placement in, retention in, or completion of postsecondary education, training,
unsubsidized employment, or career advancement; deleted text begin and
deleted text end

(3) receipt of a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent new text begin ; and
new text end

new text begin (4) reduction in participation in the diversionary work program, Minnesota family
investment program, and food support education and training program new text end .

(b) A district, group of districts, state agency, or private nonprofit organization
providing an adult basic education program may meet this requirement by developing a
tracking system based on either or both of the following methodologies:

(1) conducting a reliable follow-up survey; or

(2) submitting student information, including Social Security numbers for data
matching.

Data related to obtaining employment must be collected in the first quarter following
program completion or can be collected while the student is enrolled, if known. Data
related to employment retention must be collected in the third quarter following program
exit. Data related to any other specified outcome may be collected at any time during a
program year.

(c) When a student in a program is requested to provide the student's Social Security
number, the student must be notified in a written form easily understandable to the student
that:

(1) providing the Social Security number is optional and no adverse action may be
taken against the student if the student chooses not to provide the Social Security number;

(2) the request is made under section 124D.52, subdivision 7;

(3) if the student provides the Social Security number, it will be used to assess the
effectiveness of the program by tracking the student's subsequent career; and

(4) the Social Security number will be shared with the Department of Education;
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities; new text begin Office of Higher Education; Department of
Human Services; new text end and deleted text begin the deleted text end Department of Employment and Economic Development in
order to accomplish the purposes deleted text begin of this section deleted text end new text begin described in paragraph (a) new text end and will not be
used for any other purpose or reported to any other governmental entities.

(d) Annually a district, group of districts, state agency, or private nonprofit
organization providing programs under this section must forward the tracking data
collected to the Department of Education. For the purposes of longitudinal studies on the
employment status of former students under this section, the Department of Education
must forward the Social Security numbers to the Department of Employment and
Economic Development to electronically match the Social Security numbers of former
students with wage detail reports filed under section 268.044. The results of data matches
must, for purposes of this section and consistent with the requirements of the United
States Code, title 29, section 2871, of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, be compiled
in a longitudinal form by the Department of Employment and Economic Development
and released to the Department of Education in the form of summary data that does not
identify the individual students. The Department of Education may release this summary
data. State funding for adult basic education programs must not be based on the number or
percentage of students who decline to provide their Social Security numbers or on whether
the program is evaluated by means of a follow-up survey instead of data matching.