HF 3854

1st Engrossment - 84th Legislature (2005 - 2006) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to education; raising K-12 academic achievement through increased
student participation in advanced placement and international baccalaureate
programs; appropriating money; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota
Statutes, chapter 120B.

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

Section 1.

new text begin [120B.132] RAISED ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT; ADVANCED
PLACEMENT AND INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE PROGRAMS.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Establishment; eligibility. new text end

new text begin A program is established to raise K-12
academic achievement through increased student participation in advanced placement
and international baccalaureate programs, consistent with section 120B.13. Schools and
charter schools eligible to participate under this section:
new text end

new text begin (a) must have a three-year plan approved by the local school board to establish a new
international baccalaureate program leading to international baccalaureate authorization,
or expand an existing program that leads to international baccalaureate authorization, or
expand an existing authorized international baccalaureate program; or
new text end

new text begin (b) must have a three-year plan approved by the local school board to create a new or
expand an existing program to implement the college board advanced placement courses
and exams or pre-advanced placement initiative; and
new text end

new text begin (c) also must propose to further raise students' academic achievement by:
new text end

new text begin (1) increasing the availability of and all students' access to advanced placement or
international baccalaureate courses or programs;
new text end

new text begin (2) expanding the breadth of advanced placement or international baccalaureate
courses or programs that are available to students;
new text end

new text begin (3) increasing the number and the diversity of the students who participate in
advanced placement or international baccalaureate courses or programs and succeed;
new text end

new text begin (4) providing low-income and other disadvantaged students with increased access to
advanced placement or international baccalaureate courses or programs; or
new text end

new text begin (5) increasing the number of high school students, including low-income and other
disadvantaged students, who receive college credit by successfully completing advanced
placement or international baccalaureate courses or programs and achieving satisfactory
scores on related exams.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Application and review process; funding priority. new text end

new text begin (a) Charter schools
and school districts in which eligible schools under subdivision 1 are located may apply to
the commissioner, in the form and manner the commissioner determines, for competitive
funding to further raise students' academic achievement. The application must detail the
specific efforts the applicant intends to undertake in further raising students' academic
achievement, consistent with subdivision 1, and a proposed budget detailing the district or
charter school's current and proposed expenditures for advanced placement, preadvanced
placement, and international baccalaureate courses and programs. The proposed
budget must demonstrate that the applicant's efforts will supplement but not supplant
any expenditures for advanced placement, preadvanced placement and international
baccalaureate courses and programs the applicant currently makes available to students.
Expenditures for administration must not exceed five percent of the proposed budget. The
commissioner may require an applicant to provide additional information.
new text end

new text begin (b) When reviewing applications, the commissioner must determine whether
the applicant satisfied all the requirements in this subdivision and subdivision 1.
The commissioner may give funding priority to an otherwise qualified applicant that
demonstrates:
new text end

new text begin (1) a focus on developing or expanding advanced placement or international
baccalaureate courses or programs or increasing students' participation in, access to, or
success with the courses or programs, including the participation, access, or success of
low-income and other disadvantaged students;
new text end

new text begin (2) a compelling need for access to advanced placement or international
baccalaureate courses or programs;
new text end

new text begin (3) an effective ability to actively involve local business and community
organizations in student activities that are integral to advanced placement or international
baccalaureate courses or programs;
new text end

new text begin (4) access to additional public or nonpublic funds or in-kind contributions that are
available for advanced placement or international baccalaureate courses or programs; or
new text end

new text begin (5) an intent to implement activities that target low-income and other disadvantaged
students.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Funding; permissible funding uses. new text end

new text begin (a) The commissioner shall award
grants to applicant school districts and charter schools that meet the requirements of
subdivisions 1 and 2. The commissioner must award grants on an equitable geographical
basis to the extent feasible and consistent with this section. Grant awards must not exceed
the lesser of: (1) $85 times the number of pupils enrolled at the participating sites on
October 1 of the previous fiscal year, or (2) the approved supplemental expenditures
based on the budget submitted under subdivision 2. For charter schools in their first
year of operation, the maximum grant award must be calculated using the number of
pupils enrolled on October 1 of the current fiscal year. The commissioner may adjust
the maximum grant award computed using prior year data for changes in enrollment
attributable to school closings, school openings, grade level reconfigurations, or school
district reorganizations between the prior fiscal year and the current fiscal year.
new text end

new text begin (b) School districts and charter schools that submit an application and receive
funding under this section must use the funding, consistent with the application, to:
new text end

new text begin (1) provide teacher training and instruction to more effectively serve students,
including low-income and other disadvantaged students, who participate in advanced
placement or international baccalaureate courses or programs;
new text end

new text begin (2) further develop advanced placement or international baccalaureate courses or
programs;
new text end

new text begin (3) improve the transition between grade levels to better prepare students, including
low-income and other disadvantaged students, for succeeding in advanced placement or
international baccalaureate courses or programs;
new text end

new text begin (4) purchase books and supplies;
new text end

new text begin (5) pay course or program fees;
new text end

new text begin (6) increase students??a??a?? participation in and success with advanced placement or
international baccalaureate courses or programs;
new text end

new text begin (7) expand students' access to advanced placement or international baccalaureate
courses or programs through online-learning;
new text end

new text begin (8) hire appropriately licensed personnel to teach additional advanced placement or
international baccalaureate courses or programs; or
new text end

new text begin (9) engage in other activity directly related to expanding students' access to,
participation in, and success with advanced placement or international baccalaureate
courses or programs, including low-income and other disadvantaged students.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Annual reports. new text end

new text begin (a) Each school district and charter school that receives
a grant under this section annually must collect demographic and other student data to
demonstrate and measure the extent to which the district or charter school raised students'
academic achievement under this program and must report the data to the commissioner
in the form and manner the commissioner determines. The commissioner annually by
February 15 must make summary data about this program available to the education
policy and finance committees of the legislature.
new text end

new text begin (b) Each school district and charter school that receives a grant under this section
annually must report to the commissioner, consistent with the Uniform Financial
Accounting and Reporting Standards, its actual expenditures for advanced placement,
preadvanced placement, and international baccalaureate courses and programs. The report
must demonstrate that the school district or charter school has maintained its effort
from other sources for advanced placement, preadvanced placement, and international
baccalaureate courses and programs compared with the previous fiscal year, and the
district or charter school has expended all grant funds, consistent with its approved budget.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment
and applies to the 2006-2007 school year and later.
new text end