SF 2961

as introduced - 89th Legislature (2015 - 2016) Posted on 03/18/2016 11:34am

A bill for an act
relating to education; establishing additional accountability measures for charter
schools serving at-risk student populations; amending Minnesota Statutes 2015
Supplement, section 124E.10, subdivision 1, by adding a subdivision.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2015 Supplement, section 124E.10, subdivision 1, is
amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Contents.

(a) The authorization for a charter school must be in the
form of a written contract signed by the authorizer and the board of directors of the charter
school. The contract must be completed within 45 business days of the commissioner's
approval of the authorizer's affidavit. The authorizer shall submit to the commissioner a
copy of the signed charter contract within ten business days of its execution. The contract
for a charter school must be in writing and contain at least the following:

(1) a declaration that the charter school will carry out the primary purpose in section
124E.01, subdivision 1, and how the school will report its implementation of the primary
purpose;

(2) a declaration of the additional purpose or purposes in section 124E.01,
subdivision 1, that the school intends to carry out and how the school will report its
implementation of those purposes;

(3) a description of the school program and the specific academic and nonacademic
outcomes that pupils must achieve;

(4) a statement of admission policies and procedures;

(5) a governance, management, and administration plan for the school;

(6) signed agreements from charter school board members to comply with all
federal and state laws governing organizational, programmatic, and financial requirements
applicable to charter schools;

(7) the criteria, processes, and procedures that the authorizer will use to monitor and
evaluate the fiscal, operational, and academic performance consistent with subdivision
3, paragraphs (a) and (b);

(8) for contract renewal, the formal written performance evaluation of the school
that is a prerequisite for reviewing a charter contract under subdivision 3;

(9) types and amounts of insurance liability coverage to be obtained by the charter
school, consistent with section 124E.03, subdivision 2, paragraph (d);

(10) consistent with section 124E.09, paragraph (d), a provision to indemnify and
hold harmless the authorizer and its officers, agents, and employees from any suit, claim,
or liability arising from any operation of the charter school, and the commissioner and
department officers, agents, and employees notwithstanding section 3.736;

(11) the term of the initial contract, which may be up to five years plus an additional
preoperational planning year, and up to five years for a renewed contract or a contract with
a new authorizer after a transfer of authorizers, if warranted by the school's academic,
financial, and operational performance;

(12) how the board of directors or the operators of the charter school will provide
special instruction and services for children with a disability under sections 125A.03
to 125A.24, and 125A.65, a description of the financial parameters within which the
charter school will operate to provide the special instruction and services to children
with a disability;

(13) the specific conditions for contract renewal that identify performance of all
students under the primary purpose of section 124E.01, subdivision 1, as the most
important factor in determining contract renewal;

(14) the additional purposes under section 124E.01, subdivision 1, and related
performance obligations under clause (7) contained in the charter contract as additional
factors in determining contract renewal; and

(15) the plan for an orderly closing of the school under chapter 317A, whether
the closure is a termination for cause, a voluntary termination, or a nonrenewal of the
contract, that includes establishing the responsibilities of the school board of directors
and the authorizer and notifying the commissioner, authorizer, school district in which the
charter school is located, and parents of enrolled students about the closure, information
and assistance sufficient to enable the student to re-enroll in another school, the transfer
of student records under section 124E.03, subdivision 5, paragraph (b), and procedures
for closing financial operations.

deleted text begin (b) A charter school must design its programs to at least meet the outcomes adopted
by the commissioner for public school students. In the absence of the commissioner's
requirements, the school must meet the outcomes contained in the contract with the
authorizer. The achievement levels of the outcomes contained in the contract may exceed
the achievement levels of any outcomes adopted by the commissioner for public school
students.
deleted text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2015 Supplement, section 124E.10, is amended by adding a
subdivision to read:

new text begin Subd. 1a. new text end

new text begin Pupil performance. new text end

new text begin (a) A charter school must design its programs to
at least meet the outcomes adopted by the commissioner for public school students. In
the absence of the commissioner's requirements, the school must meet the outcomes
contained in the contract with the authorizer. The achievement levels of the outcomes
contained in the contract may exceed the achievement levels of any outcomes adopted by
the commissioner for public school students.
new text end

new text begin (b) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, a charter school where at least 70
percent of enrolled pupils are eligible to participate in the graduation incentives program
under section 124D.68, or where the charter school contract limits admission to pupils
eligible to participate in the graduation incentives program under section 124D.68, is
subject to statewide accountability measures applicable to public schools under chapter
120B, but consistent with the alternative measures established under this paragraph
and Minnesota Graduation Standards. For eligible schools, the written charter contract
under subdivision 1 between the charter school authorizer and the school's board of
directors shall be based on the student academic, career and college readiness, and student
engagement performance measures established under this paragraph.
new text end

new text begin (1) Thirty percent of any performance evaluation of a charter school under this
paragraph shall be based on longitudinal data showing student achievement and growth
on a nationally or state-normed assessment for groups of ten or more students who
are continuously enrolled in the charter school for at least 120 school days before the
assessment is administered.
new text end

new text begin (2) Forty percent of any student performance evaluation of a charter school under
this paragraph shall be based on demonstrated growth in any four of the following
postsecondary and workforce readiness measures, as stipulated in the charter school
contract and demonstrated by the requisite evidence:
new text end

new text begin (i) a three-year average graduation rate for students who complete high school
in four, five, or six years;
new text end

new text begin (ii) a three-year graduation rate for noncontinously enrolled students who complete
high school in seven years;
new text end

new text begin (iii) average student drop-out rate for students who leave the charter school in a
single year without pursuing an education alternative;
new text end

new text begin (iv) the participation rate and composite score of those students in a school year
taking a national postsecondary or workforce readiness assessment such as the ACT,
PSAT, SAT, ACCUPLACER, or ASVAB;
new text end

new text begin (v) the percentage of students in the 12th grade cohort, as identified by the number
of completed course credits at the beginning of the school year, who graduate within
that school year;
new text end

new text begin (vi) the percentage of students in a school year who successfully transfer to another
education program, including those leading to a diploma, credential or degree, or care
and treatment program;
new text end

new text begin (vii) the percentage of students in the previous school year who complete an
education program, receive a diploma, enroll in a postsecondary program or institution,
enlist in the military, or obtain full-time employment;
new text end

new text begin (viii) the percentage of students in a school year who successfully complete the
number of course credits they need to stay on track to graduate within an established
timeline;
new text end

new text begin (ix) the percentage of students in a school year who successfully meet work
certification or preapprenticeship program requirements; or
new text end

new text begin (x) the percentage of students in a school year who earn dual enrollment credits
through the Postsecondary Enrollment Options Act or other dual credit program.
new text end

new text begin (3) Thirty percent of any student performance evaluation of a charter school under
this paragraph shall be based on data from any three of the following student engagement
measures applied to groups of ten or more students who are continuously enrolled in
the charter school for at least 120 days:
new text end

new text begin (i) a three-year average daily attendance rate;
new text end

new text begin (ii) a demonstrated percentage improvement in attendance by a cohort;
new text end

new text begin (iii) a three-year average of the total number of days students are reported as truant;
new text end

new text begin (iv) the number of student dropouts who enroll in the school and remain continuously
enrolled throughout that school year;
new text end

new text begin (v) the percentage of students in a school year or a 12-month period who participate
in and demonstrate growth on character and social competency assessments measuring
decision-making skills, career readiness, education or aspiration goals, and similar
characteristics or competencies; or
new text end

new text begin (vi) the percentage of students in a school year who meet the community service
goals in their individual learning plan as measured by the charter school's citizenship
and community outcomes rubric.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective for the 2016-2017 school year and
later.
new text end