1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; creating an ethnic studies requirement; creating an Ethnic 
1.3 	Studies Task Force; authorizing rulemaking; requiring a report; appropriating 
1.4 	money;amending Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 120B.024, subdivision 1; 
1.5 	proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 120B.
1.6 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.7 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 120B.024, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
1.8 		Subdivision 1.Graduation requirements. (a) Students beginning 9th grade in the 
1.9 	2011-2012 school year and later must successfully complete the following high school level 
1.10 	credits for graduation:
1.11 	(1) four credits of language arts sufficient to satisfy all of the academic standards in 
1.12 	English language arts;
1.13 	(2) three credits of mathematics, including an algebra II credit or its equivalent, sufficient 
1.14 	to satisfy all of the academic standards in mathematics;
1.15 	(3) an algebra I credit by the end of 8th grade sufficient to satisfy all of the 8th grade 
1.16 	standards in mathematics;
1.17 	(4) three credits of science, including at least one credit of biology, one credit of chemistry 
1.18 	or physics, and one elective credit of science. The combination of credits under this clause 
1.19 	must be sufficient to satisfy (i) all of the academic standards in either chemistry or physics 
1.20 	and (ii) all other academic standards in science;
2.1 	(5) three and one-half credits of social studies, encompassing at least United States 
2.2 	history, geography, ethnic studies, government and citizenship, world history, and economics 
2.3 	sufficient to satisfy all of the academic standards in social studies;
2.4 	(6) one credit of the arts sufficient to satisfy all of the state or local academic standards 
2.5 	in the arts; and
2.6 	(7) a minimum of seven elective credits.
2.7 	(b) A school district is encouraged to offer a course for credit in government and 
2.8 	citizenship to 11th or 12th grade students who begin 9th grade in the 2020-2021 school year 
2.9 	and later, that satisfies the government and citizenship requirement in paragraph (a), clause 
2.10 	(5).

2.11 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for students beginning 9th grade in the 
2.12 	2022-2023 school year and later.

2.13 	Sec. 2. [120B.025] ETHNIC STUDIES.
2.14 		Subdivision 1.Definition. "Ethnic studies" means the critical and interdisciplinary study 
2.15 	of race, ethnicity, and indigeneity with a focus on the experiences and perspectives of people 
2.16 	of color within and beyond the United States. Ethnic studies analyzes the ways in which 
2.17 	race and racism have been and continue to be powerful social, cultural, and political forces, 
2.18 	and their connections to other groups of stratification, including gender, class, sexuality, 
2.19 	and legal status.
2.20 		Subd. 2.Requirement. (a) Every public school in Minnesota must offer as part of the 
2.21 	social studies curriculum one or more ethnic studies courses that include the following 
2.22 	topics:
2.23 	(1) Latinx Studies;
2.24 	(2) African American Studies;
2.25 	(3) Asian American Studies;
2.26 	(4) Indigenous/First Nations Studies; or
2.27 	(5) Ethnic Studies 101.
2.28 	(b) Ethnic studies courses may also focus specifically on a particular group of national 
2.29 	or ethnic origin, including Hmong Studies or Somali Studies.
2.30 	(c) An ethnic studies course must meet state ethnic studies standards.
3.1 	(d) A student beginning 9th grade in the 2023-2024 school year and later must 
3.2 	successfully complete a semester-long ethnic studies course to graduate from high school. 
3.3 	A district or charter school must offer an ethnic studies course that fulfills the requirements 
3.4 	of this paragraph without increasing the number of credits required for graduation under 
3.5 	section 120B.024.
3.6 	(e) School districts and charter schools must provide ethnic studies curriculum in 
3.7 	elementary schools and middle schools by the 2024-2025 school year in accordance with 
3.8 	Department of Education rules on ethnic studies.
3.9 		Subd. 3.Rulemaking. The commissioner of education must adopt rules for statewide 
3.10 	academic standards for ethnic studies curriculum to be required for all kindergarten through 
3.11 	grade 12 students. The rules must include a process for implementing standards statewide.
3.12 		Subd. 4.School needs assessment. (a) A school district or charter school must conduct 
3.13 	an ethnic studies school needs assessment with students, parents or guardians, and community 
3.14 	members to determine the priorities for course selection, implementation, and timeline. The 
3.15 	ethnic studies school needs assessment must include qualitative and quantitative components. 
3.16 	Qualitative priorities must include a schoolwide listening session or feedback forum with 
3.17 	students, parents or guardians, and community members. Quantitative priorities must include 
3.18 	a school survey.
3.19 	(b) A school district or charter school must annually evaluate the implementation of 
3.20 	ethnic studies instruction by seeking feedback from students, parents or guardians, and 
3.21 	community members. A school district or charter school must report to the commissioner 
3.22 	of education in the form and manner determined by the commissioner on plans to modify 
3.23 	implementation based on the annual evaluation.
3.24 		Subd. 5.Department of Education. (a) The Department of Education must hire dedicated 
3.25 	ethnic studies staff sufficient to fulfill the following department duties:
3.26 	(1) ensure that each school district or charter school implements ethnic studies courses 
3.27 	and curriculum that fulfill ethnic studies standards;
3.28 	(2) support school districts and charter schools in providing training for teachers and 
3.29 	school district staff to successfully implement ethnic studies standards;
3.30 	(3) require each school district or charter school to annually evaluate the implementation 
3.31 	of the ethnic studies curriculum by seeking feedback from students, parents or guardians, 
3.32 	and community members;
4.1 	(4) encourage school districts and charter schools to hire a dedicated coordinator for 
4.2 	ethnic studies implementation with support from the Department of Education; and
4.3 	(5) make available to school districts and charter schools the following:
4.4 	(i) a model ethnic studies curriculum;
4.5 	(ii) an ethnic studies school survey for each school district and charter school to use as 
4.6 	part of a school needs assessment;
4.7 	(iii) a list of recommended materials, resources, sample curricula, and pedagogical skills 
4.8 	for use in kindergarten through grade 12 that accurately reflect the diversity of the state of 
4.9 	Minnesota;
4.10 	(iv) training materials for teachers and district and school staff, including an ethnic 
4.11 	studies coordinator, to implement ethnic studies requirements, including a school needs 
4.12 	assessment; and
4.13 	(v) other resources to assist districts and charter schools in successfully implementing 
4.14 	ethnic studies standards.
4.15 	(b) The commissioner must review the ethnic studies standards, once adopted, every ten 
4.16 	years. Review of the state standards must include robust community engagement and 
4.17 	consultation with stakeholders.

4.18 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2021, except subdivision 3, which 
4.19 	is effective the day following final enactment.

4.20 	Sec. 3. ETHNIC STUDIES TASK FORCE.
 4.21 		Subdivision 1.Task force established. (a) The Ethnic Studies Task Force is established 
4.22 	to advise the commissioner of education on ethnic studies standards, curriculum, and 
4.23 	resources necessary to implement ethnic studies requirements under Minnesota Statutes, 
4.24 	section 120B.025. The commissioner must appoint members of the task force by July 1, 
4.25 	2021, with input from the Minnesota Ethnic Studies Coalition.
4.26 	(b) The Ethnic Studies Task Force must have 25 members, as follows:
4.27 	(1) five community members with a demonstrated commitment to ethnic studies;
4.28 	(2) three public school students in grades 9 to 12;
4.29 	(3) two public school students in grades 6 to 8;
4.30 	(4) three parents or guardians of public kindergarten through grade 12 students;
5.1 	(5) three Minnesota-based, college-level faculty experts in ethnic studies;
5.2 	(6) three ethnic studies high school teachers;
5.3 	(7) three ethnic studies grades 6 to 8 teachers; and
5.4 	(8) three ethnic studies kindergarten to grade 5 teachers.
5.5 	(c) Demographics of the task force must be inclusive and represent the ethnic and racial 
5.6 	diversity of the state, including gender and sexual orientation, immigrant status, and religious 
5.7 	and linguistic background.
5.8 		Subd. 2.Duties. (a) The task force must:
5.9 	(1) create an updated ethnic studies curriculum in accordance with subdivision 3 for 
5.10 	statewide implementation and use;
5.11 	(2) develop an ethnic studies school survey for school districts and charter schools to 
5.12 	use as part of their school needs assessment;
5.13 	(3) develop ethnic studies standards to propose for adoption into existing statewide 
5.14 	standards for public schools;
5.15 	(4) identify professional learning requirements for educators and staff to facilitate the 
5.16 	successful implementation of ethnic studies courses;
5.17 	(5) work with school districts and charter schools to create a plan to recruit and retain 
5.18 	teachers of color as part of ethnic studies courses and overall school goals to increase teachers 
5.19 	of color and indigenous or native teachers;
5.20 	(6) identify a list of recommended materials, resources, sample curricula, and pedagogical 
5.21 	skills for use in kindergarten through grade 12 that accurately reflect the diversity of the 
5.22 	state of Minnesota;
5.23 	(7) develop resources to assist public schools in successfully implementing the adopted 
5.24 	ethnic studies standards; and
5.25 	(8) provide necessary training materials for teachers and school district staff to 
5.26 	successfully implement the ethnic studies requirements under Minnesota Statutes, section 
5.27 	120B.025, including the school needs assessment and coordinator.
5.28 	(b) The task force must create a work plan that outlines the timeline to fulfill its duties 
5.29 	under this subdivision.
5.30 	(c) Within six months of the task force creating a timeline for the work plan under 
5.31 	paragraph (b), the task force must plan a gradual scale-up approach to statewide 
6.1 	implementation of the ethnic studies requirement, including a focus on high school for the 
6.2 	first one to four years of the program's development, phasing in middle and elementary 
6.3 	schools over a period of time determined by the committee.
6.4 	(d) The task force must provide to the commissioner of education the ethnic studies 
6.5 	standards; list of recommended materials, resources, curricula, and skills; and other materials 
6.6 	developed under this subdivision by October 31, 2022.
6.7 		Subd. 3.Model curriculum and report. (a) The task force must create a model 
6.8 	curriculum that school districts and charter schools are encouraged to use. The task force 
6.9 	must encourage school districts and charter schools implementing the model curriculum to 
6.10 	use materials authored by members of the community that is the subject of the course. The 
6.11 	model curriculum must:
6.12 	(1) use various forms of pedagogy to meet all students' needs, including participatory 
6.13 	or research-based models for real-world connections to the current society;
6.14 	(2) include a power, race, class, and gender analysis as part of the course via literature, 
6.15 	discussion, classwork, and homework as it relates to ethnic studies courses; and
6.16 	(3) include an intersectional analysis of climate, health, food, housing, education, and 
6.17 	policy.
6.18 	(b) By November 15, 2022, the task force must submit to the chairs and ranking minority 
6.19 	members of the committees of the senate and the house of representatives with primary 
6.20 	jurisdiction over kindergarten through grade 12 education a report containing a list of 
6.21 	resources and materials provided to the commissioner of education for the commissioner 
6.22 	to make available to school districts and charter schools implementing ethnic studies 
6.23 	requirements.
6.24 		Subd. 4.Meetings and compensation. (a) The task force must convene on at least a 
6.25 	bimonthly basis and must hold the first meeting no later than October 15, 2021.
6.26 	(b) Members of the task force shall receive a stipend of $250 per month for their time, 
6.27 	work, and expertise.
6.28 		Subd. 5.Administration. The commissioner must provide meeting space and technical 
6.29 	assistance for the task force.
6.30 		Subd. 6.State standards. The commissioner must adopt the ethnic studies standards 
6.31 	developed by the task force using the expedited rulemaking process in Minnesota Statutes, 
6.32 	section 14.389.

7.1 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.

7.2 	Sec. 4. SOCIAL STUDIES STANDARDS.
 7.3 	The commissioner must include ethnic studies, as defined in Minnesota Statutes, section 
7.4 	120B.025, in social studies standards during the 2020-2021 review and revision of the 
7.5 	standards.

7.6 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.

7.7 	Sec. 5. APPROPRIATIONS.
 7.8 		Subdivision 1.Ethnic Studies Task Force. $....... in fiscal year 2022 and $....... in fiscal 
7.9 	year 2023 are appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of education for the 
7.10 	Ethnic Studies Task Force. Any balance in the first year does not cancel but is available in 
7.11 	the second year.
7.12 		Subd. 2.Ethnic studies implementation. $....... in fiscal year 2022 and $....... in fiscal 
7.13 	year 2023 are appropriated from the general fund to the commissioner of education for 
7.14 	implementation of state ethnic studies requirements. The base for fiscal year 2024 is $.......

7.15 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2021.