SF 1797

1st Engrossment - 88th Legislature (2013 - 2014) Posted on 03/18/2014 08:48am

A bill for an act
relating to education; higher education; requiring certain additional information
in a report from the Minnesota P-20 Education Partnership; amending Minnesota
Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 127A.70, subdivision 2.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 127A.70, subdivision 2,
is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Powers and duties; report.

(a) The partnership shall develop
recommendations to the governor and the legislature designed to maximize the achievement
of all P-20 students while promoting the efficient use of state resources, thereby helping
the state realize the maximum value for its investment. These recommendations may
include, but are not limited to, strategies, policies, or other actions focused on:

(1) improving the quality of and access to education at all points from preschool
through graduate education;

(2) improving preparation for, and transitions to, postsecondary education and
work; deleted text begin and
deleted text end

(3) ensuring educator quality by creating rigorous standards for teacher recruitment,
teacher preparation, induction and mentoring of beginning teachers, and continuous
professional development for career teachers new text begin ; and
new text end

new text begin (4) realigning the governance and administrative structures of early education,
kindergarten through grade 12, and postsecondary systems in Minnesota new text end .

(b) Under the direction of the P-20 Education Partnership Statewide Longitudinal
Education Data System Governance Committee, the Office of Higher Education and the
Departments of Education and Employment and Economic Development shall improve
and expand the Statewide Longitudinal Education Data System (SLEDS) to provide
policymakers, education and workforce leaders, researchers, and members of the public
with data, research, and reports to:

(1) expand reporting on students' educational outcomes;

(2) evaluate the effectiveness of educational and workforce programs; and

(3) evaluate the relationship between education and workforce outcomes.

To the extent possible under federal and state law, research and reports should be
accessible to the public on the Internet, and disaggregated by demographic characteristics,
organization or organization characteristics, and geography.

It is the intent of the legislature that the Statewide Longitudinal Education Data
System inform public policy and decision-making. The SLEDS governance committee,
with assistance from staff of the Office of Higher Education, the Department of Education,
and the Department of Employment and Economic Development, shall respond to
legislative committee and agency requests on topics utilizing data made available through
the Statewide Longitudinal Education Data System as resources permit. Any analysis of
or report on the data must contain only summary data.

(c) By January 15 of each year, the partnership shall submit a report to the governor
and to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees and
divisions with jurisdiction over P-20 education policy and finance that summarizes the
partnership's progress in meeting its goals and identifies the need for any draft legislation
when necessary to further the goals of the partnership to maximize student achievement
while promoting efficient use of resources.