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SF 1140

as introduced - 88th Legislature (2013 - 2014) Posted on 03/08/2013 10:09am

KEY: stricken = removed, old language.
underscored = added, new language.

Current Version - as introduced

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A bill for an act
relating to education; aligning high school graduation exams with college
readiness; amending Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 120B.30, subdivisions
1, 1a.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 120B.30, subdivision 1, is amended to read:


Subdivision 1.

Statewide testing.

(a) The commissioner, with advice from experts
with appropriate technical qualifications and experience and stakeholders, consistent with
subdivision 1a, shall include in the comprehensive assessment system, for each grade
level to be tested, state-constructed tests developed from and aligned with the state's
required academic standards under section 120B.021, include multiple choice questions,
and be administered annually to all students in grades 3 through 8. deleted text begin State-developed high
school tests aligned with the state's required academic standards under section 120B.021
and administered to all high school students in a subject other than writing must include
multiple choice questions.
deleted text end The commissioner shall establish one or more months during
which schools shall administer deleted text begin thedeleted text end new text begin state-constructednew text end tests to students each school year. For
students enrolled in grade 8 before the 2005-2006 school yeardeleted text begin , Minnesota basic skills tests
in reading, mathematics, and writing shall fulfill students' basic skills testing requirements
for a passing state notation. The passing scores of basic skills tests in reading and
mathematics are the equivalent of 75 percent correct for students entering grade 9 based on
the first uniform test administered in February 1998. Students
deleted text end who have not successfully
passed a Minnesota basic skills test by the end of the 2011-2012 school year must pass
the graduation-required assessments for diploma under paragraph (c), except that for
the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 school years only, these students may satisfy the state's
graduation test requirement for math by complying with paragraph (d), clauses (1) and (3).

(b) The state assessment systemnew text begin for grades 3 through 8new text end must be aligned to the most
recent revision of academic standards as described in section 120B.023 deleted text begin in the following
manner:
deleted text end

deleted text begin (1) mathematics;
deleted text end

deleted text begin (i) grades 3 through 8 beginning in the 2010-2011 school year; and
deleted text end

deleted text begin (ii) high school level beginning in the 2013-2014 school year;
deleted text end

deleted text begin (2) science; grades 5 and 8 and at the high school level beginning in the 2011-2012
school year; and
deleted text end

deleted text begin (3) language arts and reading; grades 3 through 8 and high school level beginning in
the 2012-2013 school year
deleted text end .

(c) For students enrolled in grade 8 deleted text begin indeleted text end new text begin fromnew text end the 2005-2006 school year deleted text begin and later
deleted text end new text begin through the 2013-2014 school yearnew text end , only the following options shall fulfill students' state
graduation test requirements:

(1) for reading and mathematics:

(i) obtaining an achievement level equivalent to or greater than proficient as
determined through a standard setting process on the Minnesota comprehensive
assessments in grade 10 for reading and grade 11 for mathematics or achieving a passing
score as determined through a standard setting process on the graduation-required
assessment for diploma in grade 10 for reading and grade 11 for mathematics or
subsequent retests;

(ii) achieving a passing score as determined through a standard setting process
on the state-identified language proficiency test in reading and the mathematics test for
English learners or the graduation-required assessment for diploma equivalent of those
assessments for students designated as English learners;

(iii) achieving an individual passing score on the graduation-required assessment for
diploma as determined by appropriate state guidelines for students with an individualized
education program or 504 plan;

(iv) obtaining achievement level equivalent to or greater than proficient as
determined through a standard setting process on the state-identified alternate assessment
or assessments in grade 10 for reading and grade 11 for mathematics for students with
an individualized education program; or

(v) achieving an individual passing score on the state-identified alternate assessment
or assessments as determined by appropriate state guidelines for students with an
individualized education program; and

(2) for writing:

(i) achieving a passing score on the graduation-required assessment for diploma;

(ii) achieving a passing score as determined through a standard setting process on
the state-identified language proficiency test in writing for students designated as English
learners;

(iii) achieving an individual passing score on the graduation-required assessment for
diploma as determined by appropriate state guidelines for students with an individualized
education program or 504 plan; or

(iv) achieving an individual passing score on the state-identified alternate assessment
or assessments as determined by appropriate state guidelines for students with an
individualized education program.

(d) Students enrolled in grade 8 in any school year from the 2005-2006 school
year to the 2009-2010 school year who do not pass the mathematics graduation-required
assessment for diploma under paragraph (c) are eligible to receive a high school diploma
if they:

(1) complete with a passing score or grade all state and local coursework and credits
required for graduation by the school board granting the students their diploma;

(2) participate in district-prescribed academic remediation in mathematics; and

(3) fully participate in at least two retests of the mathematics GRAD test or until
they pass the mathematics GRAD test, whichever comes first. A school, district, or charter
school must place on the high school transcript a student's current pass status for each
subject that has a required graduation assessment.

In addition, the school board granting the students their diplomas may formally
decide to include a notation of high achievement on the high school diplomas of those
graduating seniors who, according to established school board criteria, demonstrate
exemplary academic achievement during high school.

(e) The 3rd through 8th grade and high school test results shall be available to
districts for diagnostic purposes affecting student learning and district instruction and
curriculum, and for establishing educational accountability. The commissioner must
disseminate to the public the high school test results upon receiving those results.

(f) The 3rd through 8th grade and high school tests must be aligned with state
academic standards. The commissioner shall determine the testing process and the order
of administration. The statewide results shall be aggregated at the site and district level,
consistent with subdivision 1a.

(g) In addition to the testing and reporting requirements under this section, the
commissioner shall include the following components in the statewide public reporting
system:

(1) uniform statewide testing of all students in grades 3 through 8 and at the high
school level that provides appropriate, technically sound accommodations or alternate
assessments;

(2) educational indicators that can be aggregated and compared across school
districts and across time on a statewide basis, including average daily attendance, high
school graduation rates, and high school drop-out rates by age and grade level;

(3) state results on the American College Test; and

(4) state results from participation in the National Assessment of Educational
Progress so that the state can benchmark its performance against the nation and other
states, and, where possible, against other countries, and contribute to the national effort
to monitor achievement.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective for students entering 8th grade in the
2014-2015 school year and later or upon federal approval, whichever is later.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 120B.30, subdivision 1a, is amended to read:


Subd. 1a.

Statewide and local assessments; results.

(a) For purposes
of conforming with existing federal educational accountability requirements, the
commissioner must develop reading and mathematics assessments for grades 3 through 8deleted text begin ,
state-developed high school reading and mathematics tests aligned with state academic
standards,
deleted text end and new text begin annual new text end science assessments deleted text begin under clause (2)deleted text end new text begin in one grade in the grades
3 through 5 span
new text end that districts and sites must use to monitor student growth toward
achieving those standards. new text begin The commissioner shall contract for the nationally recognized
college entrance exam taken by the most high school students in Minnesota during the
2011-2012 school year to be taken by all students in grade 11 and as necessary in grade
12 to fulfill educational accountability requirements in high school. The entrance exam
must include reading, mathematics, English, science, and writing.
new text end The commissioner must
not develop statewide assessments for academic standards in social studies, health and
physical education, and the arts. new text begin The commissioner must not require students to achieve a
passing score on any high school assessment as a condition of receiving a high school
diploma.
new text end The commissioner must require:

(1) annual reading and mathematics assessments in grades 3 through 8, and high
school reading and mathematics testsnew text begin in grade 11new text end ; deleted text begin and
deleted text end

(2) annual science assessments in one grade in the grades 3 through 5 span, the
grades 6 through 8 span, and deleted text begin a life sciences assessment in the grades 9 through 12 span,
and the commissioner must not require students to achieve a passing score on high school
science assessments as a condition of receiving a high school diploma.
deleted text end new text begin grade 11;
new text end

new text begin (3) an English assessment in grade 11; and
new text end

new text begin (4) a writing assessment in grade 11.
new text end

(b) The commissioner must ensure that all statewide tests administered to elementary
and secondary students measure students' academic knowledge and skills and not students'
values, attitudes, and beliefs.

(c) Reporting of assessment results new text begin for assessments in grades 3 through 8 new text end must:

(1) provide timely, useful, and understandable information on the performance of
individual students, schools, school districts, and the state;

(2) include a value-added growth indicator of student achievement under section
120B.35, subdivision 3, paragraph (b); and

(3)(i) for students enrolled in grade 8 before the 2005-2006 school year, determine
whether students have met the state's basic skills requirements; and

(ii) for students enrolled in grade 8 in the 2005-2006 school year and later, determine
whether students have met the state's academic standards.

(d) Consistent with applicable federal law and subdivision 1, paragraph deleted text begin (d)deleted text end new text begin (g)new text end ,
clause (1), the commissioner must include appropriate, technically sound accommodations
or alternative assessments for the very few students with disabilities for whom statewide
assessments are inappropriate and for English learners.

(e) A school, school district, and charter school must administer statewide
assessments under this section, as the assessments become available, to evaluate student
proficiency in the context of the state's grade level academic standards. If a state
assessment is not available, a school, school district, and charter school must determine
locally if a student has met the required academic standards. A school, school district,
or charter school may use a student's performance on a statewide assessment as one of
multiple criteria to determine grade promotion or retention. A school, school district, or
charter school may use a high school student's performance on a statewide assessment
as a percentage of the student's final grade in a course, or place a student's assessment
score on the student's transcript.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment
and applies to students entering 8th grade in the 2014-2015 school year and later or upon
federal approval, whichever is later.
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin FEDERAL WAIVER.
new text end

new text begin The commissioner shall seek necessary waivers from federal requirements to replace
current high school assessments with the contracted assessments under Minnesota
Statutes, section 120B.30, subdivision 1a, paragraph (a).
new text end

Sec. 4. new text begin RECOMMENDED READINESS SCORES.
new text end

new text begin By January 15, 2014, the commissioner shall report to the legislative committees with
primary jurisdiction over kindergarten through grade 12 education a recommended score
for each section of the college entrance exam under Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.30,
subdivision 1, that demonstrates college and career readiness. These recommended scores
may not be used in any determinations until affirmed by legislative action.
new text end