1st Engrossment - 84th Legislature (2005 - 2006) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am
A bill for an act
relating to education; providing for an elementary and
middle school years international baccalaureate pilot
program; appropriating money.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
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The definitions in this
subdivision apply to this section.
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(a) "International baccalaureate" or "IB" means an academic
curriculum for elementary and middle school years approved by
the International Baccalaureate Organization.
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(b) "School district" means Special School District No. 6,
South St. Paul.
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(c) "Pilot program" means a research and evaluation project
introducing the elementary and middle school years IB program
and measuring the effect of this integrated curriculum on
student learning.
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(d) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of the Department
of Education.
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(e) "Instructional year" is one year of full-time
instruction under the IB program for a given grade level.
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(a) The IB program is an
internationally recognized program of academic studies
emphasizing a rigorous curriculum, advanced student performance,
and development of critical thinking and application skills.
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(b) Minnesota has nine IB programs at the secondary level,
but as yet no district has adopted this program as the basis for
its elementary course of studies for all students.
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(c) School districts have had an established and successful
secondary IB diploma program for over ten years and are
interested in becoming a pilot site for implementation of the
elementary and middle school years IB programs as a means of
advancing student performance.
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The purpose of this section is to
provide funding for a five-year pilot program in Special School
District No. 6, South St. Paul, Independent School District No.
283, St. Louis Park, and a third district to be selected by the
commissioner of education. The districts must have an
established IB program to assess the benefits of implementing IB
primary-level and intermediate-level programs across an entire
district and to measure its effectiveness in improving student
performance and academic achievement.
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(a) The school district
must file a plan with the commissioner for introducing the
elementary and middle school years IB programs into general use
in the district, including a detailed cost analysis, schedule of
preparatory activities, in-service for teachers, and curriculum
and instructional materials. The plan must include the costs
for startup and annual operation, instructional goals,
implementation plan, learning outcomes, and timelines for
achieving this implementation.
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(b) Upon approval of the implementation and evaluation plan
and budget by the school board and the commissioner, the
commissioner shall authorize payment of funds to the district in
an amount up to the annual limit of the appropriation.
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(c) Funds received under this section from any source may
not be used for unrelated curriculum, instruction or operating
expense purposes, or capital improvements.
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(d) The pilot program must begin no later than the
beginning of the 2006-2007 school year and be completed by the
end of the 2010-2011 school year.
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(a) By September 1 of
each instructional year following introduction of the curriculum
and for the duration of the pilot program, the school district
must report to the commissioner and the public on the funds
expended, performance level achieved by students in the program,
and overall progress made toward accomplishing the goals of the
program.
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(b) At the completion of the final year of the pilot
program, a comprehensive assessment of the success of the
project will be prepared with the assistance of the Department
of Education and provided to the house of representatives and
senate committees having jurisdiction over kindergarten through
grade 12 education.
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The sums
indicated in this section are appropriated to the Department of
Education in the fiscal years indicated.
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Subd. 2.new text end [ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL YEARS INTERNATIONAL
BACCALAUREATE (IB) PILOT PROGRAM.] new text begin For the elementary and middle
school years IB pilot program:
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$.......
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.....
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2006
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$.......
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.....
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2007
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Of this amount, up to $....... may be used for
preinstructional startup costs, including staff, training,
curriculum materials, and preparation costs.
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Up to $....... may be used for operating costs for school
instructional years one through five.
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Any balance remaining in the first year does not cancel but
is available in the second year.
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Costs for testing, other assessment, and preparation of the
annual report must be paid from school district funds.
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At the conclusion of the pilot program, the school district
must decide whether to continue the IB program and to pay all
costs for continuing the curriculum.
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