as introduced - 92nd Legislature (2021 - 2022) Posted on 02/04/2021 03:08pm
A bill for an act
relating to education; creating a standardized assessment task force; requiring a
report.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
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The Standardized Assessment Task Force is established
to recommend to the Minnesota legislature changes to make Minnesota's standardized
assessment system more meaningful, reliable, and useful for schools, students, and families.
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(a) The task force must review statewide assessments, state and federal
academic accountability requirements, assessments used in other states, and Department of
Education practices and procedures related to standardized testing to make recommendations
for changes to Minnesota's standardized assessments requirements.
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(b) In making recommendations, the task force must consider:
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(1) the number of students who do not participate in statewide assessments and the effect
on standardized assessment performance reports;
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(2) the time, financial costs, and other resources school districts expend on administering
standardized assessments;
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(3) how standardized assessment data is used at the school site, school district, and state
level; and
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(4) how standardized assessments may be used to identify achievement gaps among
groups of students, increase proficiency, or close achievement gaps.
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(c) The task force must reach out to, and actively seek input from, parents and students
throughout Minnesota.
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(a) The Standardized Assessment Task Force must have the
following 16 members appointed by the commissioner of education:
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(1) four teachers consisting of a special education teacher, a teacher of English as a
second language, an elementary school teacher, and a secondary school teacher;
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(2) one elementary school principal and one secondary school principal;
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(3) two school testing coordinators;
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(4) two superintendents or their designees;
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(5) two school board members or their designees;
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(6) two members of the assessment committee established by the Department of Education
to make recommendations on the state plan required under the Every Student Succeeds Act;
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(7) one member of the business community; and
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(8) one mental health professional.
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(b) The commissioner of education must establish an application process for membership
in the Standardized Assessment Task Force and must appoint members to the task force no
later than July 15, 2021. The commissioner must consider applicants' qualifications and
backgrounds and appoint task force members that represent Minnesota's racial, ethnic,
gender, and geographic diversity.
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The commissioner of education must convene the first meeting of
the task force by August 1, 2021. The meetings of the task force are subject to Minnesota
Statutes, chapter 13D.
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The chair of the task force must be elected by the task force membership
and, unless replaced by a vote of the task force membership, must serve until the task force
expires.
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The commissioner of education, upon request, must
provide technical assistance and support to task force members, including identifying past
reports related to standardized assessments and providing meeting space and administrative
assistance, as necessary.
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By January 15, 2022, the task force must report its recommendations
to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees having jurisdiction
over kindergarten through grade 12 education in accordance with Minnesota Statutes, section
3.195. The report must make recommendations for changes to Minnesota's standardized
assessment system.
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The task force expires the day after submitting the report under
subdivision 7.
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This section is effective the day following final enactment.
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