SF 597

as introduced - 89th Legislature (2015 - 2016) Posted on 03/12/2015 08:35am

A bill for an act
relating to education; integrating service-learning into Minnesota's education
system; establishing an evidence-based service-learning grant program;
providing for a task force on teacher preparation and licensure requirements
related to service learning; appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes
2014, section 124D.50, by adding a subdivision; proposing coding for new law
in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 124D.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.50, is amended by adding a
subdivision to read:

new text begin Subd. 2a. new text end

new text begin Service-learning specialist; service-learning work. new text end

new text begin The commissioner
shall create a service-learning specialist position in the department to advance
evidence-based service learning, coordinate the service-learning grants program, and
provide technical assistance to school districts, schools, and school programs and to
their community-based partners or participants, such as nonprofit organizations, units
of government, higher education institutions, businesses or business organizations,
community leaders, or parents. The commissioner may provide or may contract for
specialized expertise in school- and community-based service-learning best practices,
professional development or training, service-learning research or evaluation, or
development of service-learning "learning communities" or "user group" support.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2015.
new text end

Sec. 2.

new text begin [124D.501] INNOVATIVE INCUBATOR SERVICE-LEARNING
GRANTS.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Establishment; eligibility criteria; application requirements. new text end

new text begin (a)
A five-year grant program is established to initiate or expand and strengthen innovative
service-learning opportunities for students in early childhood programs through grade
12 and thereby increase student academic achievement, and help close the academic
achievement gap and the community, college, and career opportunity gaps.
new text end

new text begin (b) To be eligible to apply for and receive an innovative, incubator service-learning
grant under this section, at least one public school teacher, administrator, or program
staff member and at least one service-learning specialist, service-learning coordinator,
or curriculum specialist employed at a public school, public school program, or school
district must form an authentic student-adult partnership that includes one or more
community-based organizations or government units. The partnership may invite one or
more other individuals or entities, such as postsecondary faculty members or institutions,
parents, other community members, local businesses or business organizations, or
local media representatives to become partners or participate with the partnership,
consistent with this paragraph. Before developing and submitting a grant application to
the department, participating students must work with one or more adults who are part
of the initial partnership to identify an issue, need, or opportunity to pursue through a
service-learning partnership and identify and invite one or more possible partners to
collaborate in developing and submitting a grant application. The employing school
district that is a member of the partnership or the school district of the school or school
program that is a member of the partnership is the fiscal agent for the grant. An eligible
service-learning partnership receiving an innovation service-learning grant must:
new text end

new text begin (1) include at least a group of enrolled students, two or more school district
employees, and an eligible community-based organization or unit of government; and
new text end

new text begin (2) assist students to:
new text end

new text begin (i) actively participate in service-learning experiences that meet identified student
and community needs or opportunities;
new text end

new text begin (ii) operate collaboratively with service-learning partnership members;
new text end

new text begin (iii) align service-learning experiences with students' individualized educational
plans and programs;
new text end

new text begin (iv) apply students' knowledge and skills in their community and help solve
community problems;
new text end

new text begin (v) foster students' civic engagement; and
new text end

new text begin (vi) explore and pursue career pathways and achieve college readiness.
new text end

new text begin An eligible partnership interested in receiving a grant must apply to the commissioner of
education in the form and manner determined by the commissioner. Consistent with this
subdivision, the application must describe how the applicant will: with guidance from
the service-learning partnership, incorporate student-designed and student-led service
learning into the school curriculum or in specific courses or across subject areas; provide
students with instruction and experiences during the school day using service-learning
best practices and an option to supplement their service-learning experiences outside the
school day; align service-learning opportunities with state and local academic standards;
and make implementing service-learning best practices an educational priority. The
application also must indicate how the partnership intends to provide student-designed,
student-led service-learning experiences that meet genuine community needs or develop
genuine community opportunities based on service-learning best practices aligned to
state academic standards. The partnership must work with a district service-learning
specialist or service-learning coordinator or a district curriculum specialist to design a
grant application and implement an approved grant application.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Innovation grants. new text end

new text begin The commissioner of education must award up
to 32 grants of up to $50,000 each to allow eligible partnerships, equitably distributed
throughout Minnesota by congressional district, to provide innovative, incubator
service-learning opportunities to students, consistent with this section. The commissioner
may designate start-up or leader grant categories with differentiated maximum grant
dollar amounts up to $50,000. Grantees designated as leader grantees may have to meet
additional leader grant requirements as indicated by the commissioner in the grant
application criteria developed by the commissioner. The commissioner may renew a grant
annually as appropriations are available and consistent with the grant criteria established
in this section and other criteria the commissioner may establish for grant eligibility or
for renewing a grant. In order to receive a grant, a partnership must provide a one-to-one
match in funds or in-kind contributions unless the commissioner decides to waive the
match requirement for an applicant serving a high number of students whose families
meet federal poverty guidelines. A partnership grantee must allocate the grant amount
according to its grant application, which must include conveying 50 percent of the actual
grant amount to its community-based organization or unit of government partner or
partners to implement or help defray the direct costs of carrying out the service-learning
strategies and activities described in the partnership's grant application.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Evaluation. new text end

new text begin The commissioner of education must evaluate these
innovative, incubator service-learning initiatives based on the educational and
developmental outcomes of students participating in the service learning and include
summary data on the characteristics and extent of students' participation in service learning,
their development of academic skills or achievements, and their engagement in school,
school attendance, course completion rates, opportunity to develop community, college, or
career connections, and the graduation rates for participating high school-age students.
The commissioner also must evaluate the success of the service-learning grants based on
the community outcomes and community results achieved through student service-learning
experiences and the corresponding student service activities. The commissioner must
transmit an interim progress report on student and community outcomes and results under
this section to the legislative committees with oversight over education by February 15,
2019, and a final report to the same legislative committees by February 15, 2021.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective for the 2015-2016 through 2019-2020
school years.
new text end

Sec. 3. new text begin TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS ON SERVICE LEARNING.
new text end

new text begin The Board of Teaching may create a task force composed of service-learning experts,
representatives of teacher preparation programs and institutions, community-based
service-learning practitioners, licensed teachers, and other interested stakeholders to
study and make recommendations to the legislature on teacher preparation and licensure
requirements in the area of service learning by February 15, 2016, consistent with
Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.50.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end

Sec. 4. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Department of Education. new text end

new text begin The sums indicated in this section
are appropriated from the general fund to the Department of Education in the fiscal
years designated for the purposes of Minnesota Statutes, sections 124D.50, subdivision
2a, and 124D.501.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Service-learning specialist; service-learning work. new text end

new text begin For the
service-learning specialist position at the Department of Education under Minnesota
Statutes, section 124D.50, subdivision 2a, and for related service-learning work under
Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.501:
new text end

	new text begin $ new text end	new text begin 300,000 new text end	new text begin new text end	new text begin 2016 new text end
	new text begin $ new text end	new text begin 300,000 new text end	new text begin new text end	new text begin 2017 new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Innovative service-learning grants. new text end

new text begin For innovative service-learning
program grants under Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.501:
new text end

	new text begin $ new text end	new text begin 800,000 new text end	new text begin new text end	new text begin 2016 new text end
	new text begin $ new text end	new text begin 800,000 new text end	new text begin new text end	new text begin 2017 new text end

new text begin Any funds not expended in the first fiscal year do not cancel but carry forward
to the second fiscal year.
new text end