SF 2977

as introduced - 83rd Legislature (2003 - 2004) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; modifying school accountability 
  1.3             requirements; amending Minnesota Statutes 2003 
  1.4             Supplement, section 120B.36. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2003 Supplement, section 
  1.7   120B.36, is amended to read: 
  1.8      120B.36 [SCHOOL ACCOUNTABILITY; APPEALS PROCESS.] 
  1.9      (a) The commissioner shall use objective criteria based on 
  1.10  levels of student performance to identify four to six 
  1.11  designations applicable to high and low performing public 
  1.12  schools.  The objective criteria shall include at least student 
  1.13  academic performance, school safety, and staff characteristics, 
  1.14  with a value-added growth component added by the 2006-2007 
  1.15  school year. 
  1.16     (b) The commissioner shall develop, annually update, and 
  1.17  post on the department Web site school performance report cards. 
  1.18  A school's designation must be clearly stated on each school 
  1.19  performance report card. 
  1.20     (c) The commissioner must make available the first school 
  1.21  designations and school performance report cards by November 
  1.22  2003, and during the beginning of each school year thereafter.  
  1.23     (d) A school or district may appeal in writing a 
  1.24  designation under this section to the commissioner within 30 60 
  1.25  days of receiving the designation.  The commissioner must make a 
  2.1   ruling on the appeal within 15 days of receiving the appeal.  
  2.2   The commissioner's decision to uphold or deny an appeal is 
  2.3   final.  At any time, if the commissioner determines that a 
  2.4   designation was made in error, the commissioner shall ensure 
  2.5   that the error does not adversely affect the school's or school 
  2.6   district's sanction status in subsequent years and must make 
  2.7   corrections to all attributed accountability reports.  
  2.8      Sec. 2.  [COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS.] 
  2.9      The commissioner must provide a report to the committees of 
  2.10  the legislature having jurisdiction over kindergarten through 
  2.11  grade 12 education policy and budget issues by February 1, 2005, 
  2.12  that: 
  2.13     (1) recommends a plan for incorporating value-added 
  2.14  measures of student achievement into the state's annual adequate 
  2.15  yearly progress determination process.  The commissioner's 
  2.16  recommendation must include: 
  2.17     (i) the criteria that would be used to assess adequate 
  2.18  growth, using a value-added measure; and 
  2.19     (ii) policies to ensure that adequate growth can be 
  2.20  measured with valid and reliable methods.  
  2.21  By January 1, 2005, the commissioner shall also seek a waiver 
  2.22  from the federal Department of Education that would allow the 
  2.23  state to use a value-added measurement of student achievement 
  2.24  for determining adequate yearly progress as required under the 
  2.25  federal No Child Left Behind Act; 
  2.26     (2) recommends a plan to monitor the quality of results 
  2.27  achieved by supplemental educational service providers that have 
  2.28  been approved by the department under Title I, Part A, of the No 
  2.29  Child Left Behind Act.  The commissioner shall also include in 
  2.30  its recommendation proposed rules as authorized under Laws 2003, 
  2.31  chapter 129, article 2, section 3; 
  2.32     (3) in cooperation with the Office of Education 
  2.33  Accountability, evaluates the validity of the state's 
  2.34  accountability system.  The commissioner must also include in 
  2.35  the report the results of any other outside evaluations 
  2.36  solicited by the department, as reported to the federal 
  3.1   Department of Education in the state plan for implementing the 
  3.2   No Child Left Behind Act; and 
  3.3      (4) identifies, at a minimum, the expenditures incurred by 
  3.4   the department and school districts, regardless of funding 
  3.5   source, to comply with sanctions required under the No Child 
  3.6   Left Behind Act for low-performing schools.