HF 3492

1st Engrossment - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 02/26/2024 04:39pm

A bill for an act
relating to education; modifying the computer science education advancement
program; establishing grants to expand computer science education programs;
requiring reports; appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2023
Supplement, section 120B.241, subdivisions 1, 4, by adding a subdivision;
proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 120B.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2023 Supplement, section 120B.241, subdivision 1, is
amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Definitions.

(a) "Computer science" means the study of computers and
algorithmic processes, including their principles, their hardware and software designs, their
implementation, and their impact on society.

(b) "Computer science courses and content" means courses at:

(1) elementary and middle schools that teach computer science as standalone
implementations or embedded in other subjects; and

(2) high schools that teach computer science as standalone courses and focus on teaching
students how to create new technologies.

(c) "High-quality computer science educator training" means activities that:

(1) clarify the conceptual foundations of computer science;

(2) teach research-based practices, including hands-on and inquiry-based learning;

(3) are primarily intended for existing teachers with or without prior exposure to computer
science with options for advanced training for teachers; and

(4) align to existing integrated computer science standards in Minnesota or nationally
recognized standards, including the Computer Science Teachers' Association's kindergarten
through grade 12 computer science education standards.

(d) "High-quality computer science professional learning providers" means institutions
of higher education, nonprofits, other state-funded entities, or private entities that have
successfully designed, implemented, and scaled high-quality computer science professional
learning for teachers as defined in paragraph (c).

(e) "STEAM" means science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics.

new text begin (f) "Subgroups underrepresented in computer science" means racial and ethnic minorities,
girls, youth from families living at or below the poverty line as defined in the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act of 1965, United States Code, title 20, section 8101, students
with disabilities, or English language learners.
new text end

new text begin (g) "Teacher" means a teacher holding a license issued by the Professional Educator
Licensing and Standards Board, including a licensed media specialist.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2023 Supplement, section 120B.241, subdivision 4, is amended
to read:

Subd. 4.

Computer science educator training and capacity building.

(a) The
Department of Education shall develop and implement, or award grants or subcontract with
eligible entities, for the development and implementation of high-quality, coordinated
teacher recruitment and educator training programs for computer science courses and content
as defined in subdivision 1 and aligned to the state strategic plan as developed under
subdivision 3.

(b) For the purposes of this subdivision, eligible entities include:

(1) a consortium of local educational agencies in the state; and

(2) high-quality computer science professional learning providers, including institutions
of higher education in the state that are reasonably accessible geographically to all Minnesota
educators, nonprofits, other state-funded entities, or private entities working in partnership
with a consortium of local educational agencies.

(c) For purposes of this subdivision, eligible uses of funding include:

(1) high-quality professional learning opportunities for kindergarten through grade 12
computer science content that:

(i) are created and delivered in a consistent manner across the state;

(ii) are made available with no out-of-pocket expenses to educators, including teachers,
counselors, administrators, and other district employees as approved by the Department of
Education, schools, and school districts;

(iii) are made available asynchronously online, in person, and online or hybrid as
determined appropriate by the Department of Education; and

(iv) include introductory, intermediate, and advanced trainings aligned to the kindergarten
through grade 12 academic standards or, as necessary, other standards approved by the
Department of Education, specified for each of the grade bands kindergarten through grade
2, grades 3 to 5, grades 6 to 8, and grades 9 to 12;

(2) professional learning opportunities for educators of students in grades 9 to 12 that
may include trainings for advanced placement, international baccalaureate, and concurrent
enrollment credit computer science courses;

(3) travel expenses for kindergarten through grade 12 computer science teachers:

(i) for attending training opportunities under clauses (1) and (2); and

(ii) deemed appropriate and approved by the commissioner of education, or the
commissioner of education's designee;

(4) any future credentialing for kindergarten through grade 12 computer science teachers,
including Career and Technical Education and academic endorsements;

(5) supports for kindergarten through grade 12 computer science professional learning,
including mentoring and coaching;

(6) creation and deployment of resources to promote training opportunities and
recruitment of kindergarten through grade 12 computer science teachers;

(7) creation or purchase of resources to support implementation approved by the
commissioner of education, or the commissioner of education's designee;

(8) creation and deployment of resources to promote learning opportunities or recruit
students to engage in the learning opportunities;

(9) development of teacher credentialing programs;

(10) planning for districts to implement or expand computer science education
opportunities; and

(11) employment, or grant for employment, of personnel or contractors to oversee the
statewide initiative, develop programs and trainings, and deliver training opportunities under
clause (1).

(d) As a condition of receiving any funding through grants or subcontracts, eligible
entities must submit an application to the Department of Education. The application must,
at a minimum, address how the entity will:

(1) reach new and existing teachers with little to no computer science background;

(2) attract and support educators from schools that currently do not have established
computer science education programs new text begin or schools that do not have sufficient computer science
teacher capacity new text end ;

(3) use research- or evidence-based practices for high-quality professional development;

(4) focus the professional learning on the conceptual foundations of computer science;

(5) reach and support subgroups underrepresented in computer science;

(6) provide teachers with concrete experience through hands-on, inquiry-based practices;

(7) accommodate the particular teacher and student needs in each district and school;
and

(8) ensure that participating districts begin offering courses or content within the same
or subsequent school year after the teacher receives the professional learning.

(e) The Department of Education shall prioritize the following applications:

(1) consortiums of local educational agencies that are working in partnership with
providers of high-quality professional learning for kindergarten through grade 12 computer
science;

(2) proposals that describe strategies to increase enrollment overall, including but not
limited to new text begin enrollment among new text end subgroups of students that are traditionally underrepresented
in computer science; and

(3) proposals from new text begin entities serving new text end rural or urban areas with deleted text begin a low penetration of deleted text end new text begin little
to no new text end kindergarten through grade 12 computer science offerings deleted text begin , including local education
consortiums within these areas deleted text end .

(f) The award recipient shall report, for all funding received under this section annually,
at a minimum:

(1) the number of teachers:

(i) trained within each elementary, middle, and high school; and

(ii) trained within trainings offered as outlined in paragraph (c), clause (1), item (iv);

(2) the number of trainings offered in advanced placement, international baccalaureate,
and concurrent enrollment credit computer science courses; and

(3) the number of teachers, and percentage of teachers trained, that started implementing
computer science courses deleted text begin limited to deleted text end new text begin in new text end middle deleted text begin and deleted text end new text begin or new text end high deleted text begin school implementation deleted text end new text begin schools
by the subsequent school year new text end .

(g) The Department of Education shall make these reports public. The publicly released
data shall not include student-level personally identifiable information.

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2023 Supplement, section 120B.241, is amended by adding a
subdivision to read:

new text begin Subd. 8. new text end

new text begin State report. new text end

new text begin The Department of Education must submit an annual report to
the legislative committees with jurisdiction over kindergarten through grade 12 education
describing progress on the adopted state strategic plan developed under subdivision 3. The
plan must be submitted by February 1 of each year.
new text end

Sec. 4.

new text begin [120B.2412] GRANTS TO EXPAND EXISTING COMPUTER SCIENCE
EDUCATION PROGRAMS.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Computer science education program expansion. new text end

new text begin A grant program is
established to expand existing high-quality computer science education programs. For
purposes of this section, an "existing high-quality computer science education program"
means either of the following:
new text end

new text begin (1) a school-adjacent program currently serving students in kindergarten through grade
12 that provides hands-on, inquiry-based learning or activities that cover foundational
concepts of computer science and are offered by a nonprofit organization, higher education
institution, state-funded entity, or private entity working in partnership with a school district
or charter school, that has successfully designed, implemented, and scaled such a program;
or
new text end

new text begin (2) current in-school offerings that align with computer science standards or school-based
extracurricular programs currently serving students in kindergarten through grade 12 that
provide hands-on, inquiry-based learning or activities that cover foundational concepts of
computer science.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Eligible recipients. new text end

new text begin The following entities are eligible for a grant under this
section:
new text end

new text begin (1) a school district, charter school, intermediate school district, or cooperative under
section 123A.24, subdivision 2;
new text end

new text begin (2) a partnership of one or more entities listed in clause (1); and
new text end

new text begin (3) an institution of higher education in Minnesota, nonprofit organization, other
state-funded entity, or private entity working in partnership with an entity listed in clause
(1).
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Eligible uses. new text end

new text begin (a) A grant recipient may use grant funds for the following uses:
new text end

new text begin (1) program design of computer science courses with the intention to increase enrollment
of subgroups underrepresented in computer science;
new text end

new text begin (2) recruiting and hiring instructional and support personnel as needed, including
curriculum specialists;
new text end

new text begin (3) program administration for grantees, including transportation for program participants;
and
new text end

new text begin (4) program promotion to subgroups underrepresented in computer science.
new text end

new text begin (b) A grant recipient may use no more than 20 percent of the total grant award on program
administration, and no more than 15 percent of the total grant award on program promotion
under paragraph (a), clause (4).
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Department of Education. new text end

new text begin (a) The Department of Education must administer
the grant program. An applicant must submit an application in the form and manner
determined by the commissioner. An entity receiving funds through a subcontract with a
grant recipient must be approved by the department.
new text end

new text begin (b) An application for a grant under this section must, at minimum, state how the applicant
plans to:
new text end

new text begin (1) reach new and existing students with little to no computer science background;
new text end

new text begin (2) use research-based or evidence-based practices for programming;
new text end

new text begin (3) focus curricula on the conceptual foundations of computer science;
new text end

new text begin (4) reach and support subgroups underrepresented in computer science; and
new text end

new text begin (5) provide students with concrete experience through hands-on, inquiry-based practices.
new text end

new text begin (c) The department must prioritize the following applications:
new text end

new text begin (1) proposals that describe strategies to increase enrollment overall, including but not
limited to subgroups of students who are traditionally underrepresented in computer science;
and
new text end

new text begin (2) proposals from entities serving rural or urban schools with little to no kindergarten
through grade 12 computer science offerings.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Reporting. new text end

new text begin (a) A grant recipient must report, for all funding received under
this section, at a minimum:
new text end

new text begin (1) the number of students served and their grade level;
new text end

new text begin (2) the number of students served who later enrolled, or were concurrently enrolled in,
computer science courses through advanced placement, international baccalaureate, or
concurrent enrollment programs;
new text end

new text begin (3) the number of schools and school districts served by grants; and
new text end

new text begin (4) the number and percentage of students reached disaggregated by gender, race,
ethnicity, eligibility for free and reduced-price meals, Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act status, 504 status, and English language learner status.
new text end

new text begin (b) The department must make grant recipient reports publicly available. The publicly
available reports must not include student-level publicly identifiable information.
new text end

Sec. 5. new text begin APPROPRIATIONS; DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
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.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Computer science education teacher training and recruitment. new text end

new text begin (a) For
grants to train and recruit computer science education teachers in accordance with Minnesota
Statutes, section 120B.241:
new text end

new text begin $ new text end

new text begin 4,000,000 new text end

new text begin ..... new text end

new text begin 2025 new text end

new text begin (b) The base for fiscal year 2026 and later is $4,000,000.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Computer science program expansion. new text end

new text begin (a) For grants to expand computer
science education programs in accordance with Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.2412:
new text end

new text begin $ new text end

new text begin 4,000,000 new text end

new text begin ..... new text end

new text begin 2025 new text end

new text begin (b) The base for fiscal year 2026 and later is $4,000,000.
new text end

Sec. 6. new text begin APPROPRIATION; PROFESSIONAL EDUCATOR LICENSING AND
STANDARDS BOARD.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board. new text end

new text begin The sum
indicated in this section is appropriated from the general fund to the Professional Educator
Licensing and Standards Board in the fiscal year designated.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Computer science field license. new text end

new text begin To establish a field license in computer science:
new text end

new text begin $ new text end

new text begin 50,000 new text end

new text begin ..... new text end

new text begin 2025 new text end

new text begin (b) This is a one time appropriation.
new text end