HF 2982

as introduced - 83rd Legislature (2003 - 2004) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to early childhood education; establishing a 
  1.3             school readiness kindergarten assessment initiative; 
  1.4             appropriating money. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  [SCHOOL READINESS KINDERGARTEN ASSESSMENT 
  1.7   INITIATIVE.] 
  1.8      Subdivision 1.  [ESTABLISHMENT.] The commissioner of 
  1.9   education shall establish a system for assessing the school 
  1.10  readiness of children entering kindergarten, building on the two 
  1.11  school readiness studies conducted by the department in 2002 and 
  1.12  2003.  The department shall also set biennial milestones for 
  1.13  progress in the number of children reaching proficiency on all 
  1.14  measures of the assessment. 
  1.15     Subd. 2.  [DESCRIPTION.] (a) The school readiness 
  1.16  kindergarten assessment initiative will be implemented in all 
  1.17  school districts in Minnesota on a voluntary basis over a 
  1.18  five-year period.  The schedule for implementation is as follows:
  1.19     (1) fiscal year 2005, 6,000 entering kindergarteners; 
  1.20     (2) fiscal year 2006, 18,000 entering kindergarteners; 
  1.21     (3) fiscal year 2007, 30,000 entering kindergarteners; 
  1.22     (4) fiscal year 2008, 45,000 entering kindergarteners; and 
  1.23     (5) fiscal year 2009, 60,000 entering kindergarteners. 
  1.24     (b) Results of the assessment must be included in the 
  1.25  annual school report cards under Minnesota Statutes, section 
  2.1   120B.36. 
  2.2      Subd. 3.  [EVALUATION AND REPORTING.] The commissioner 
  2.3   shall evaluate the effectiveness of the data gathering system 
  2.4   for implementing developmental assessments at kindergarten 
  2.5   entrance on a school-by-school basis.  The commissioner shall 
  2.6   also report to the committees of the senate and house of 
  2.7   representatives having jurisdiction over early childhood 
  2.8   education issues on the progress toward reaching the milestones 
  2.9   in odd years beginning with fiscal year 2007. 
  2.10     [EFFECTIVE DATE.] This section is effective on June 30, 
  2.11  2004. 
  2.12     Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  2.13     $300,000 is appropriated in fiscal year 2005 from the 
  2.14  general fund to the commissioner of education for the school 
  2.15  readiness kindergarten assessment initiative.