SF 987

as introduced - 85th Legislature (2007 - 2008) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to education; establishing the Minnesota reading corps program;
appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 124D.42,
subdivision 6, by adding a subdivision.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 124D.42, subdivision 6, is amended to
read:

Subd. 6.

Program training.

The commission must, within available resources:

(1) orient each grantee organization in the nature, philosophy, and purpose of the
program; new text begin and
new text end

(2) build an ethic of community service through general community service training deleted text begin ;
and
deleted text end

deleted text begin (3) provide additional training as it determines necessary, which may include
training in evaluating early literacy skills and teaching reading to preschool children
through the St. Croix River Education District under Laws 2001, First Special Session
chapter 6, article 2, section 70, to assist local Head Start organizations in establishing and
evaluating Head Start programs for developing children's early literacy skills deleted text end .

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 124D.42, is amended by adding a subdivision
to read:

new text begin Subd. 8. new text end

new text begin The Minnesota reading corps program. new text end

new text begin (a) The Minnesota reading corps
program is established to provide training in a data-based problem-solving model of
literacy instruction to Americorps members working with local Head Start organizations,
other prekindergarten settings, and kindergarten through grade 3 schools to evaluate and
teach early literacy skills to children ages 3 to grade 3.
new text end

new text begin (1) Data collected will be used to tailor specific interventions for children.
new text end

new text begin (2) These interventions shall be guided by formative and summative general
outcome assessments linked to research-based indicators of literacy development.
new text end

new text begin (3) The assessments will guide the implementation of coaching models for
AmeriCorps members and staff that is designed to develop internal literacy coaches that
sustain the model over time.
new text end

new text begin (b) The Minnesota Commission on National and Community Service shall give
priority for allocating AmeriCorps members to partnerships of prekindergarten and
kindergarten through grade 3 schools that have agreed to a goal of closing the literacy
achievement gap by the end of grade 3 by implementing a seamless literacy model from
age 3 to grade 3 in the partnership agencies.
new text end

new text begin (1) The commission shall collect literacy data on children across this age range for
the purpose of documenting the impact of the age 3 to grade 3 model on closing the
literacy achievement gap.
new text end

new text begin (2) The commission shall be required to submit an annual report to the commissioner
of education by January 1.
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin APPROPRIATIONS.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Department. new text end

new text begin The sums indicated in this section are appropriated
from the general fund to the Department of Education for the fiscal years designated.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin The Minnesota reading corps program. new text end

new text begin For the establishment of the
Minnesota reading corps program under Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.42:
new text end

	new text begin $ new text end	new text begin 1,900,000 new text end	new text begin ..... new text end	new text begin 2008 new text end
	new text begin $ new text end	new text begin 1,900,000 new text end	new text begin ..... new text end	new text begin 2009 new text end

new text begin $1,000,000 each year is for leveraging federal and private funding to support
AmeriCorps members serving in the Minnesota reading corps program established by
Serve Minnesota, including costs associated with the training and teaching of early literacy
skills to children ages three to grade 3 and the evaluation of the impact of the program
under Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.42, subdivision 8.
new text end

new text begin Any balance in the first year does not cancel but is available in the second year.
new text end