HF 3274

as introduced - 79th Legislature (1995 - 1996) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to education; providing a locally controlled 
  1.3             graduation rule as an alternative to a statewide 
  1.4             graduation rule; amending Minnesota Statutes 1994, 
  1.5             section 120.101, subdivision 8, and by adding a 
  1.6             subdivision; Minnesota Statutes 1995 Supplement, 
  1.7             section 121.11, subdivision 7c. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 120.101, 
  1.10  subdivision 8, is amended to read: 
  1.11     Subd. 8.  [ASSESSMENT OF PERFORMANCE IN OTHER THAN PUBLIC 
  1.12  SCHOOLS.] (a) Each year the performance of every child who is 
  1.13  not enrolled in a public school must be assessed using a 
  1.14  nationally norm-referenced standardized achievement 
  1.15  examination.  The superintendent of the district in which the 
  1.16  child receives instruction and the person in charge of the 
  1.17  child's instruction must agree about the specific examination to 
  1.18  be used and the administration and location of the examination.  
  1.19     (b) To the extent the examination in paragraph (a) does not 
  1.20  provide assessment in all of the subject areas in subdivision 6, 
  1.21  the parent must assess the child's performance in the applicable 
  1.22  subject area.  This requirement applies only to a parent who 
  1.23  provides instruction and does not meet the requirements of 
  1.24  subdivision 7, clause (1), (2), or (3).  
  1.25     (c) If the results of the assessments in paragraphs (a) and 
  1.26  (b) indicate that the child's performance on the total battery 
  2.1   score is at or below the 30th percentile or one grade level 
  2.2   below the performance level for children of the same age, the 
  2.3   parent shall obtain additional evaluation of the child's 
  2.4   abilities and performance for the purpose of determining whether 
  2.5   the child has learning problems.  
  2.6      (d) A child receiving instruction from a nonpublic school, 
  2.7   person, or institution that is accredited by an accrediting 
  2.8   agency, recognized according to section 123.935, subdivision 7, 
  2.9   or recognized by the state board of education, is exempt from 
  2.10  the requirements of this subdivision.  
  2.11     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 120.101, is 
  2.12  amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  2.13     Subd. 8a.  [LOCALLY CONTROLLED GRADUATION RULE.] (a) As an 
  2.14  alternative to the requirements of the graduation rule adopted 
  2.15  under section 121.11, subdivision 7c, a school district may 
  2.16  formally elect to implement locally controlled graduation 
  2.17  requirements under this subdivision.  Those school districts 
  2.18  electing the locally controlled graduation rule are bound by the 
  2.19  requirements of this subdivision and are not bound by the 
  2.20  requirements of the graduation rule adopted under section 
  2.21  121.11, subdivision 7c. 
  2.22     (b) Public schools shall annually assess the performance of 
  2.23  every child enrolled in public school in grades 3 through 8 
  2.24  using a nationally norm-referenced standardized achievement 
  2.25  examination.  The local school board shall annually select the 
  2.26  examination for each grade level.  School officials shall place 
  2.27  children's test results in their education records. 
  2.28     (c) Each local school board shall establish a written 
  2.29  policy indicating what assistance the school district will make 
  2.30  available to children and their parents when a child's total 
  2.31  battery score on an achievement examination is at or below the 
  2.32  30th percentile. 
  2.33     (d) Only a school district may enter in an agreement with a 
  2.34  testing company for the purpose of assessing children's 
  2.35  performance under this subdivision. 
  2.36     (e) A local school board shall preserve for five years from 
  3.1   the date children complete an achievement examination all 
  3.2   aggregate assessment data measuring children's performance on 
  3.3   that examination.  The school board shall make the data 
  3.4   available to the public in a timely and accessible manner. 
  3.5      Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1995 Supplement, section 
  3.6   121.11, subdivision 7c, is amended to read: 
  3.7      Subd. 7c.  [RESULTS-ORIENTED GRADUATION RULE.] (a) The 
  3.8   legislature is committed to establishing a rigorous, 
  3.9   results-oriented graduation rule for Minnesota's public school 
  3.10  students.  To that end, the state board shall use its rulemaking 
  3.11  authority under subdivision 7b to adopt a statewide, 
  3.12  results-oriented graduation rule to be implemented starting with 
  3.13  students beginning ninth grade in the 1996-1997 school year.  
  3.14  The board shall not prescribe in rule or otherwise the delivery 
  3.15  system, form of instruction, or a single statewide form of 
  3.16  assessment that local sites must use to meet the requirements 
  3.17  contained in this rule. 
  3.18     (b) Assessments used to measure knowledge required by all 
  3.19  students for graduation must be developed according to the most 
  3.20  current version of professional standards for educational 
  3.21  testing. 
  3.22     (c) The content of the graduation rule must differentiate 
  3.23  between minimum competencies and rigorous standards.  When fully 
  3.24  implemented, the requirements for high school graduation in 
  3.25  Minnesota, including both basic requirements and the required 
  3.26  profile of learning, shall include a broad range of academic 
  3.27  experience and accomplishment necessary to achieve the goal of 
  3.28  preparing students to function effectively as purposeful 
  3.29  thinkers, effective communicators, self-directed learners, 
  3.30  productive group participants, and responsible citizens. 
  3.31     (d) The state board shall periodically review and report on 
  3.32  the assessment process and student achievement with the 
  3.33  expectation of raising the standards and expanding high school 
  3.34  graduation requirements. 
  3.35     (e) The state board shall report to the legislature 
  3.36  annually by January 15 on its progress in developing and 
  4.1   implementing the graduation requirements until such time as all 
  4.2   the graduation requirements are implemented. 
  4.3      (f) As an alternative to the graduation requirements under 
  4.4   this subdivision, a school district may formally elect to 
  4.5   implement locally controlled graduation requirements under 
  4.6   section 120.101, subdivision 8a.  Districts bound by the 
  4.7   requirements under section 120.101, subdivision 8a, are not 
  4.8   bound by the requirements under this subdivision. 
  4.9      Sec. 4.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  4.10     Sections 1 to 3 are effective for the 1996-1997 school year 
  4.11  and thereafter.