SF 654

1st Engrossment - 85th Legislature (2007 - 2008) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

A bill for an act
relating to education; making world languages a required academic standard;
appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2006, sections 120B.021,
subdivision 1; 120B.022, subdivision 1; 122A.18, by adding a subdivision.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 120B.021, subdivision 1, is amended to
read:

Subdivision 1.

Required academic standards.

new text begin (a) new text end The following subject areas
are required for statewide accountability:

(1) language arts;

(2) mathematics;

(3) science;

(4) social studies, including history, geography, economics, and government and
citizenship;

(5) health and physical education, for which locally developed academic standards
apply; deleted text begin and
deleted text end

(6) new text begin world languages for which a statewide intermediate-low standard of proficiency
applies as determined by a statewide proficiency assessment; and
new text end

new text begin (7) new text end the arts, for which statewide or locally developed academic standards apply, as
determined by the school district. Public elementary and middle schools must offer at least
three and require at least two of the following four arts areas: dance; music; theater; and
visual arts. Public high schools must offer at least three and require at least one of the
following five arts areas: media arts; dance; music; theater; and visual arts.

new text begin (b) new text end The commissioner must submit proposed standards in science and social studies
to the legislature by February 1, 2004.

For purposes of applicable federal law, the academic standards for language arts,
mathematics, and science apply to all public school students, except the very few students
with extreme cognitive or physical impairments for whom an individualized education
plan team has determined that the required academic standards are inappropriate.
An individualized education plan team that makes this determination must establish
alternative standards.

new text begin (c) new text end A school district, no later than the 2007-2008 school year, must adopt graduation
requirements that meet or exceed state graduation requirements established in law or
rule. A school district that incorporates these state graduation requirements before the
2007-2008 school year must provide students who enter the 9th grade in or before
the 2003-2004 school year the opportunity to earn a diploma based on existing locally
established graduation requirements in effect when the students entered the 9th grade.
District efforts to develop, implement, or improve instruction or curriculum as a result
of the provisions of this section must be consistent with sections 120B.10, 120B.11,
and 120B.20.

new text begin (d) A school district, no later than the 2010-2011 school year, must adopt graduation
requirements for world languages that require a student to reach an intermediate-low
level of proficiency on the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages
performance guidelines for kindergarten through grade 12 learners. The standards apply
to students who enter 5th grade in or after the 2010-2011 school year. To comply with
the world languages requirement, a school district must offer students world languages
instruction. The district may designate the grade levels for the instruction, which
requires a district-selected high-quality, sustainable language acquisition program. To
determine whether students have achieved an intermediate-low standard of proficiency,
the commissioner must administer statewide an existing, nationally recognized, valid and
reliable proficiency assessment that appropriately accommodates the age differences in the
students taking the assessments. Students with limited English proficiency under section
124D.59, subdivision 2, satisfy the requirements of paragraph (a), clause (6), and this
paragraph by demonstrating an intermediate-low level of proficiency in the students' first
learned language, in English, or in another, third language.
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. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 120B.022, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Elective standards.

A district must establish its own standards in
deleted text begin the following subject areas:
deleted text end

deleted text begin (1) deleted text end vocational and technical education deleted text begin ; and
deleted text end

deleted text begin (2) world languages deleted text end .

A school district must offer courses in deleted text begin all deleted text end new text begin the new text end elective subject deleted text begin areas deleted text end new text begin area new text end .

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective for the 2010-2011 school year and
later.
new text end

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 122A.18, is amended by adding a subdivision
to read:

new text begin Subd. 2c. new text end

new text begin World languages. new text end

new text begin By the 2010-2011 school year, all colleges and
universities approved by the Board of Teaching to prepare persons for world languages
teacher licensure must implement the foreign languages teacher preparation standards of
the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages and the National Council
for Accreditation of Teacher Education.
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 WORLD LANGUAGES ACADEMIC STANDARDS;
IMPLEMENTATION TIME LINE.
new text end

new text begin (a) The commissioner of education shall designate a full-time state coordinator for
world languages education within the department by July 1, 2007. The commissioner
shall seek input from the Quality Teaching Network before designating or hiring the
coordinator. The coordinator, at a minimum, shall:
new text end

new text begin (1) assist districts in developing plans for phasing in world languages as a required
academic standard;
new text end

new text begin (2) work in cooperation with Minnesota world languages professionals in developing
all aspects of the state's world languages program, consistent with applicable law
governing curriculum and assessments;
new text end

new text begin (3) survey school districts throughout the state to determine the types of existing
world languages programs, identify exemplary model world languages programs, and
identify and address staff development needs of current world languages teachers,
preservice teachers, and teacher preparation programs;
new text end

new text begin (4) determine the timing of the first statewide evaluation of world languages as
a required academic standard, consistent with Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.021,
subdivision 1, paragraph (d);
new text end

new text begin (5) identify successful world languages programs in other states;
new text end

new text begin (6) develop and implement a grant program for model pilot world languages
programs, consistent with section 5;
new text end

new text begin (7) consult with interested stakeholders to prepare a report for the education
commissioner to submit by February 15, 2008, to the education policy and finance
committees of the legislature recommending how best to structure a statewide world
languages graduation requirement under Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.021,
subdivision 1; and
new text end

new text begin (8) beginning February 1, 2008, and until February 1, 2012, report annually to
the education policy and finance committees of the legislature on the status of world
languages in Minnesota and the needs identified by school district surveys, and make
recommendations on how to address district needs.
new text end

new text begin (b) After carefully examining existing world languages assessments, the
commissioner, by July 1, 2009, shall adopt an assessment tool for school districts to use
in measuring student progress in world languages, consistent with section 120B.021,
subdivision 1, paragraph (d).
new text end

new text begin (c) Beginning July 1, 2008, the department shall assist world languages teachers
and other school district staff in developing and implementing world languages programs.
The department shall consult with postsecondary institutions in developing related teacher
and staff workshops. Each district must submit a plan to the department by June 1, 2010,
describing how the district will fully implement required world languages standards.
new text end

new text begin (d) Beginning July 1, 2010, the commissioner must evaluate districts' implementation
plans and continue to offer workshops and consultation to assist districts in implementing
world languages programs. The department shall assist districts in monitoring local
assessment results.
new text end

new text begin (e) By July 1, 2008, the department shall establish an incentive plan to recruit
students into world languages teaching.
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. 5. new text begin WORLD LANGUAGES PILOT PROGRAM GRANTS.
new text end

new text begin (a) A pilot program awarding world languages grants to interested and qualified
school sites and school districts is established for fiscal year 2009 to develop and
implement sustainable, high-quality model world languages programs at various grade
levels from kindergarten through grade 12 and to enhance existing world languages
programs for students in kindergarten through grade 12.
new text end

new text begin (b) Interested school sites and school districts must apply to the education
commissioner in the form and manner the commissioner determines. The application
must indicate whether the applicant intends to develop a new world languages program
or expand an existing world languages program and whether the applicant intends to
offer more intensive programs or programs that are readily accessible to larger numbers
of students. Applicants must agree to disseminate information about their programs to
interested school sites and school districts.
new text end

new text begin (c) The commissioner must award grants to qualified applicants that satisfy the
requirements in paragraphs (a) and (b). To the extent there are qualified applicants, the
commissioner must award a grant in each congressional district to a qualified applicant
that intends to develop a new world languages program and to a qualified applicant that
intends to expand an existing world languages program. The commissioner must award at
least one-half of all grants to K-8 sites. Grantees must expend the grant consistent with the
content of their application and this section.
new text end

new text begin (d) The commissioner shall provide for an evaluation of the grantees to identify
exemplary model world languages programs and the staff development needs of world
languages teachers and report the findings of the evaluation to the education policy and
finance committees of the legislature by February 15, 2010.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective for the 2007-2008 school year.
new text end

Sec. 6. new text begin APPROPRIATIONS.
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 for the fiscal years
designated.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin World languages teacher recruitment. new text end

new text begin For incentive programs to recruit
students into world languages teaching:
new text end

	new text begin $ new text end	new text begin 50,000 new text end	new text begin ..... new text end	new text begin 2008 new text end
	new text begin $ new text end	new text begin 100,000 new text end	new text begin ..... new text end	new text begin 2009 new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin World languages pilot programs. new text end

new text begin For world languages pilot program
grants:
new text end

new text begin $ new text end

new text begin 1,400,000 new text end

new text begin ..... new text end

new text begin 2009 new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2007.
new text end