HF 3359

as introduced - 88th Legislature (2013 - 2014) Posted on 04/28/2014 11:02am

A bill for an act
relating to education; integrating service-learning into Minnesota's education
system; establishing an evidence-based service-learning grant program;
appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 124D.50, by
adding a subdivision.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 124D.50, is amended by adding a
subdivision to read:

new text begin Subd. 2a. new text end

new text begin Service-learning specialist. new text end

new text begin The commissioner shall create a
service-learning specialist position to coordinate and provide technical assistance to
help school districts incorporate evidence-based service-learning into curriculum and
educational programming. The commissioner may contract for specialized expertise in
school- and community-based service-learning best practices, staff development training,
and program evaluation.
new text end

Sec. 2. new text begin INNOVATIVE SERVICE-LEARNING GRANTS.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Establishment; eligibility criteria; application requirements.
new text end

new text begin (a) A five-year grant program is established to expand and strengthen innovative
service-learning opportunities for students in early childhood programs through grade
12 and thereby increase student academic achievement and help close the academic
achievement gap. Service-learning partnerships under this program must:
new text end

new text begin (1) include at least enrolled students, school district employees, and an eligible
community-based organization; and
new text end

new text begin (2) allow students to:
new text end

new text begin (i) actively participate in service-learning experiences that meet identified student
and community needs or opportunities;
new text end

new text begin (ii) operate collaboratively with students' enrolling school or district;
new text end

new text begin (iii) align with students' individualized educational plans and programs;
new text end

new text begin (iv) allow students to apply their knowledge and skills in their local community and
help solve community problems;
new text end

new text begin (v) foster students' civic engagement; and
new text end

new text begin (vi) help students pursue career pathways and achieve college readiness.
new text end

new text begin (b) School district teachers and administrators in an authentic youth-adult partnership
with students and community-based organizations, and other participants or partners,
such as postsecondary faculty and institutions, parents, other community members, local
business organizations, and local media representatives, are eligible to participate in this
grant program. The partner school districts shall receive and serve as fiscal agent for
an innovative service-learning grant. An eligible partnership interested in receiving a
grant must apply to the education commissioner in the form and manner determined by
the commissioner. Consistent with this subdivision, the application must describe how
the applicant will: incorporate youth-designed and youth-led service-learning into the
school curriculum and in specific courses or across subject areas; provide students with
instruction and experiences during the school day using service-learning best practices
and an option to supplement their service-learning experiences outside the school day;
align service-learning opportunities with state and local academic standards; and make
using service-learning best practices an educational priority. The application also must
indicate how the partnership intends to provide youth-designed, youth-led service-learning
experiences that meet genuine community needs or develop genuine community
opportunities based on service-learning best practices aligned to state academic standards.
The partnership must work with the district service-learning specialist or coordinator, or
the district curriculum specialist if no service-learning specialist or coordinator exists, in
designing and implementing a grant application.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Innovation grants. new text end

new text begin The education commissioner must award up to
32 grants of up to $50,000 each to allow eligible partnerships, equitably distributed
throughout Minnesota by congressional district, to provide innovative service-learning
opportunities to students, consistent with this section. The commissioner may renew
a grant annually as appropriations are available and consistent with the grant criteria
established in this section and other criteria the commissioner may establish for renewing
a grant. In order to receive a grant, a partnership must provide a one-to-one match in
funds or in-kind contributions. A partnership grantee must allocate the grant amount
according to its grant application, which must include conveying 50 percent of the actual
grant amount to its community-based organization partner or partners to implement the
strategies and activities described in its application.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Evaluation. new text end

new text begin The education commissioner must evaluate these innovative
service-learning programs based on the educational and developmental outcomes of
students participating in the service-learning programs and the impact and results
of students' service-learning on local community outcomes under this section, and
include summary data on the characteristics and extent of students' participation in
service-learning, their development of academic skills or achievements, and their
engagement in school, school attendance, course completion rates, and the graduation
rates for participating high school-age students. The commissioner must transmit an
interim progress report on student and community outcomes under this section to the
education policy and finance committees of the legislature by February 15, 2019, and a
final report to the same legislative committees by February 15, 2021.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective for the 2015-2016 through 2019-2020
school years.
new text end

Sec. 3. 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 from the general fund to the Department of Education in the fiscal years
designated for the purposes of Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.50, subdivision 2a, and
section 2.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Service-learning specialist. new text end

new text begin For the service-learning specialist position
at the Department of Education under Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.50, subdivision
2a, and for related service-learning work under section 2:
new text end

	new text begin $ new text end	new text begin 300,000 new text end	new text begin new text end	new text begin 2016 new text end
	new text begin $ new text end	new text begin 300,000 new text end	new text begin new text end	new text begin 2017 new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Innovative service-learning program grants. new text end

new text begin For innovative
service-learning program grants under section 2:
new text end

	new text begin $ new text end	new text begin 800,000 new text end	new text begin new text end	new text begin 2016 new text end
	new text begin $ new text end	new text begin 800,000 new text end	new text begin new text end	new text begin 2017 new text end

new text begin Any funds unexpended in the first fiscal year do not cancel but carry forward to the
second fiscal year.
new text end