HF 1773

as introduced - 84th Legislature (2005 - 2006) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to education; establishing a grant program to
increase student achievement and help school sites
identify and train parents and community leaders to
hold the school and the school district accountable
for achieving high academic standards; appropriating
money.

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

Section 1. new text begin GRANT PROGRAM TO BUILD A COMMUNITY-BASED
ALLIANCE OF SCHOOLS FOR INCREASING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Establishment. new text end

new text begin A grant program is
established to increase student achievement and help school
sites identify and train education stakeholders, including
parents and community leaders among others, to hold the school
and the school district accountable for achieving high academic
standards.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Eligibility. new text end

new text begin An applicant for a grant must be a
public school site that has a student population where at least
45 percent of the enrolled students are eligible to receive a
free or reduced price meal or at least 4.7 percent of the
enrolled students are limited English proficiency students who
have received five or fewer years of English language learner
services. An applicant also must enter into a partnership with
a business organization, a labor organization and
community-based education stakeholders to focus on restructuring
the educational practices at the school site. The partnership
must include parents, teachers, school administrators, students,
community leaders, public officials and a nonprofit
community-based organization able to train, develop and organize
parents and community leaders into a constituency capable of
holding the school and the school district accountable for
achieving high academic standards.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Application process. new text end

new text begin To obtain a grant under
this section, a school must submit an application to the
commissioner of education in the form and manner determined by
the commissioner. The application must identify the members of
the school partnership under subdivision 2 and describe how the
school proposes to train, develop and organize parents,
community leaders and others into a constituency able to
restructure the school to improve student achievement and hold
the school and the school district accountable for achieving
high academic standards. The commissioner may require
additional information from a school applicant.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Grant review, award, proceeds. new text end

new text begin (a) When
reviewing the application, the commissioner must determine
whether all the requirements in subdivisions 2 and 3 are met and
whether the applicant is able to meet all the requirements in
paragraph (c).
new text end

new text begin (b) The commissioner may award grants of up to $50,000 per
eligible school applicant on a first come, first served basis to
the extent funds are available under section 2.
new text end

new text begin (c) A grant recipient must periodically demonstrate to the
commissioner during the term of its grant program that the
school is successfully:
new text end

new text begin (1) using the grant proceeds to restructure the school site
to improve academic achievement;
new text end

new text begin (2) developing effective strategies to improve academic
standards; and
new text end

new text begin (3) implementing a plan to develop, train and organize
teachers, parents and community leaders to understand academic
standards and to hold the school and school district accountable
for achieving high academic standards and demonstrating
continuous progress in achieving higher academic performance.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Report to legislature. new text end

new text begin The commissioner must
use information from grant recipients to determine how and how
well the recipients succeeded in improving student achievement
and holding the school and the school district accountable for
achieving high academic standards under this program and must
recommend to the education committees of the legislature by
February 15, 2007, whether or not to extend or expand this
program.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2005.
new text end

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

new text begin $....... is appropriated from the general fund to the
commissioner of education in fiscal year 2006 for the purposes
of section 1. This appropriation does not cancel but is
available until June 30, 2007.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2005.
new text end