HF 2776

as introduced - 88th Legislature (2013 - 2014) Posted on 03/06/2014 01:48pm

A bill for an act
relating to education; further clarifying key elements of Minnesota's career
pathways and technical education system; enlisting P-20 partnership support in
this work; amending Minnesota Statutes 2012, sections 122A.60, subdivisions
1a, 2, 3; 127A.70, by adding a subdivision; Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement,
sections 120B.11, subdivisions 1, 1a; 120B.115; 120B.125.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 120B.11, subdivision 1, is
amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Definitions.

For the purposes of this section and section 120B.10,
the following terms have the meanings given them.

(a) "Instruction" means methods of providing learning experiences that enable
a student to meet state and district academic standards and graduation requirements
new text begin including applied and experiential learning and contextualized projects, among other
learning opportunities new text end .

(b) "Curriculum" means district or school adopted programs deleted text begin and deleted text end new text begin , new text end written plans new text begin , and
competency-based curricula new text end for providing students with learning experiences that lead to
expected knowledge and skills and career and college readiness.

(c) "World's best workforce" means striving to: meet school readiness goals; have
all third grade students achieve grade-level literacy; new text begin provide students with applied and
experiential learning and contextualized projects, among other learning opportunities;
new text end close the academic achievement gap among all racial and ethnic groups of students and
between students living in poverty and students not living in poverty; have all students
attain career and college readiness before graduating from high school; and have all
students graduate from high school.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective for the 2015-2016 school year and
later.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 120B.11, subdivision 1a, is
amended to read:

Subd. 1a.

Performance measures.

Measures to determine school district and
school site progress in striving to create the world's best workforce must include at least:

(1) student performance on the National deleted text begin Association deleted text end new text begin Assessment new text end of Education
Progress new text begin where applicable new text end ;

(2) the size of the academic achievement gap by student subgroup;

(3) student performance on the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments;

(4) high school graduation rates; deleted text begin and
deleted text end

(5) career and college readiness under section 120B.30, subdivision 1 new text begin ; and
new text end

new text begin (6) summary information about the effectiveness of applied and experiential learning
and contextualized projects, among other learning opportunities new text end .

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective for the 2015-2016 school year and
later.
new text end

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 120B.115, is amended to read:

120B.115 REGIONAL CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE.

(a) Regional centers of excellence are established to assist and support school
boards, school districts, school sites, and charter schools in implementing research-based
interventions and practices to increase the students' achievement within a region.
The centers must develop partnerships with local and regional service cooperatives,
postsecondary institutions, integrated school districts, the department, children's mental
health providers, or other local or regional entities interested in providing a cohesive
and consistent regional delivery system that serves all schools equitably. Centers must
assist school districts, school sites, and charter schools in developing similar partnerships.
Center support may include assisting school districts, school sites, and charter schools
with common principles of effective practice, including:

(1) defining measurable education goals under section 120B.11, subdivision 2 new text begin , and
for secondary and postsecondary career pathways and technical education programs,
offering applied and contextualized learning, competency-based curricula, and other
nontraditional learning opportunities new text end ;

(2) implementing evidence-based practices;

(3) engaging in data-driven decision-making;

(4) providing multilayered levels of support;

(5) supporting culturally responsive teaching and learning aligning state and local
academic standards and career and college readiness benchmarks; and

(6) engaging parents, families, youth, and local community members in programs
and activities at the school district, school site, or charter school.

Centers must work with school site leadership teams to build capacity to implement
programs that close the achievement gap, increase students' progress and growth toward
career and college readiness, and increase student graduation rates.

(b) The department must assist the regional centers of excellence to meet staff,
facilities, and technical needs, provide the centers with programmatic support, and work
with the centers to establish a coherent statewide system of regional support, including
consulting, training, and technical support, to help school boards, school districts, school
sites, and charter schools effectively and efficiently implement the world's best workforce
goals under section 120B.11 and other state and federal education initiatives new text begin , including
secondary and postsecondary career pathways and technical education new text end .

Sec. 4.

Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 120B.125, is amended to read:

120B.125 PLANNING FOR STUDENTS' SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION
TO POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT; deleted text begin INVOLUNTARY
CAREER TRACKING PROHIBITED deleted text end new text begin PERSONAL LEARNING PLANS new text end .

(a) Consistent with sections 120B.128, 120B.13, 120B.131, 120B.132, 120B.14,
120B.15, 120B.30, subdivision 1, paragraph (c), 125A.08, and other related sections,
school districts, deleted text begin beginning in deleted text end new text begin by new text end the deleted text begin 2013-2014 deleted text end new text begin 2014-2015 new text end school year, must assist all
students deleted text begin by no later than grade 9 deleted text end to explore their new text begin educational, new text end college new text begin , new text end and career interests new text begin ,
aptitudes, new text end and aspirations and develop a plan for new text begin achieving kindergarten through grade
12 career and college readiness and new text end a smooth and successful transition to postsecondary
education or employment. All students' plans must deleted text begin be designed to deleted text end :

(1) provide a comprehensive academic new text begin and competency-based new text end plan deleted text begin for completing
deleted text end new text begin to prepare for and complete new text end a college and career-ready curriculum deleted text begin premised on deleted text end new text begin by
new text end meeting state and local academic standards and developing deleted text begin 21st century deleted text end new text begin career and
employment-related new text end skills such as team work, collaboration, and good work habits;

(2) emphasize academic rigor and high expectations;

(3) help students identify new text begin interests, aptitudes, aspirations, and new text end personal learning
styles that may affect their new text begin career and college-ready goals and new text end postsecondary education
and employment choices;

new text begin (4) set age- and grade-appropriate career and college-ready goals and create the
timelines and identify effective means for achieving those goals;
new text end

deleted text begin (4) deleted text end new text begin (5) new text end help students deleted text begin gain deleted text end access deleted text begin to postsecondary deleted text end education and career options;

deleted text begin (5) deleted text end new text begin (6) new text end integrate strong academic content into career-focused courses new text begin and applied
and experiential learning opportunities new text end and integrate relevant career-focused courses new text begin and
applied and experiential learning opportunities new text end into strong academic content;

deleted text begin (6) deleted text end new text begin (7) new text end help students and families identify and deleted text begin gain deleted text end access deleted text begin to deleted text end appropriate counseling
and other supports and assistance that enable students to complete required coursework,
prepare for postsecondary education and careers, and obtain information about
postsecondary education costs and eligibility for financial aid and scholarship;

deleted text begin (7) deleted text end new text begin (8) new text end help students and families identify collaborative partnerships of kindergarten
through grade 12 schools, postsecondary institutions, economic development agencies,
and new text begin local and regional new text end employers that support deleted text begin students' deleted text end new text begin middle and high school students
through their new text end transition to postsecondary education and employment and provide students
with new text begin applied and new text end experiential learning opportunities; and

deleted text begin (8) deleted text end new text begin (9) new text end be reviewed and revised at least annually by the student, the student's parent
or guardian, and the school or district to ensure that the student's course-taking schedule
keeps the student making adequate new text begin age- and grade-appropriate new text end progress to meet state and
local new text begin academic standards and new text end high school graduation requirements and with a reasonable
chance to succeed with employment or postsecondary education without the need to first
complete remedial course work.

(b) A school district may develop grade-level curricula or provide instruction that
introduces students to various careers, but must not require any curriculum, instruction,
or employment-related activity that obligates an elementary or secondary student to
involuntarily select new text begin or pursue new text end a career, career interest, employment goals, or related job
training.

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.

Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 122A.60, subdivision 1a, is amended to read:

Subd. 1a.

Effective staff development activities.

(a) Staff development activities
must:

(1) focus on the school classroom and research-based strategies that improve student
learning;

(2) provide opportunities for teachers to practice and improve their instructional
skills over time;

(3) provide opportunities for teachers to use student data as part of their daily work
to increase student achievement;

(4) enhance teacher content knowledge and instructional skills, including to
accommodate the delivery of digital and blended learning and curriculum and engage
students with technology;

(5) align deleted text begin with deleted text end state and local academic standards new text begin with regular academic and
competency-based curricula new text end ;

(6) provide opportunities to build professional relationships, foster collaboration
among principals and staff who provide instruction, and provide opportunities for
teacher-to-teacher mentoring; deleted text begin and
deleted text end

(7) align with the plan of the district or site for an alternative teacher professional
pay system new text begin ; and
new text end

new text begin (8) provide opportunities for staff to learn about current workforce trends and the
connections between workforce trends and postsecondary education and training options,
including career and technical education options new text end .

Staff development activities may include curriculum development and curriculum training
programs, and activities that provide teachers and other members of site-based teams
training to enhance team performance. The school district also may implement other
staff development activities required by law and activities associated with professional
teacher compensation models.

(b) Release time provided for teachers to supervise students on field trips and school
activities, or independent tasks not associated with enhancing the teacher's knowledge
and instructional skills, such as preparing report cards, calculating grades, or organizing
classroom materials, may not be counted as staff development time that is financed with
staff development reserved revenue under section 122A.61.

Sec. 6.

Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 122A.60, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Contents of plan.

The plan must include the staff development outcomes
under subdivision 3, the means to achieve the outcomes, and procedures for evaluating
progress at each school site toward meeting education outcomes, consistent with
relicensure requirements under section 122A.18, subdivision 4. The plan also must:

(1) support stable and productive professional communities achieved through
ongoing and schoolwide progress and growth in teaching practice;

(2) emphasize coaching, professional learning communities, classroom action
research, and other job-embedded models;

(3) maintain a strong subject matter focus premised on students' learning goals new text begin ,
consistent with section 120B.125 new text end ;

(4) ensure specialized preparation and learning about issues related to teaching
English learners and students with special needs; and

(5) reinforce national and state standards of effective teaching practice.

Sec. 7.

Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 122A.60, subdivision 3, is amended to read:

Subd. 3.

Staff development outcomes.

The advisory staff development committee
must adopt a staff development plan for improving student achievement. The plan must
be consistent with education outcomes that the school board determines. The plan
must include ongoing staff development activities that contribute toward continuous
improvement in achievement of the following goals:

(1) improve student achievement of state and local education standards in all areas of
the curriculum new text begin , including areas of regular academic and applied and experiential learning,
new text end by using best practices methods;

(2) effectively meet the needs of a diverse student population, including at-risk
children, children with disabilities, and gifted children, within the regular classroom new text begin ,
applied and experiential learning settings, new text end and other settings;

(3) provide an inclusive curriculum for a racially, ethnically, and culturally diverse
student population that is consistent with the state education diversity rule and the district's
education diversity plan;

(4) improve staff collaboration and develop mentoring and peer coaching programs
for teachers new to the school or district;

(5) effectively teach and model violence prevention policy and curriculum that
address early intervention alternatives, issues of harassment, and teach nonviolent
alternatives for conflict resolution;

(6) effectively deliver digital and blended learning and curriculum and engage
students with technology; and

(7) provide teachers and other members of site-based management teams with
appropriate management and financial management skills.

Sec. 8.

Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 127A.70, is amended by adding a subdivision
to read:

new text begin Subd. 2a. new text end

new text begin Career pathways and technical education; key elements; stakeholder
collaboration. new text end

new text begin (a) The partnership must work with representatives of the Department
of Education, the Department of Employment and Economic Development, the Board
of Teaching, the Board of School Administrators, local and regional employers, local
school boards, adult basic education program providers, postsecondary institutions,
parents, other interested and affected education stakeholders, and other major statewide
educational groups and constituencies to help the legislature identify specific policy,
administrative, and statutory changes needed under sections 120B.11, 120B.125, 122A.09,
122A.14, 122A.18, and 122A.60, among other statutory provisions, to effect and if
appropriate revise, a comprehensive, effective, and publicly accountable P-20 education
system premised on developing, implementing, and realizing students' individual career
and college readiness plans and goals. The partnership must help stakeholders under
this paragraph to collaborate in:
new text end

new text begin (1) providing students regular and frequent access to multiple qualified individuals
within the school and local and regional community who have access to reliable and
accurate information, resources, and technology the students need to successfully pursue
career and technical education, other postsecondary education, or work-based training
options;
new text end

new text begin (2) regularly engaging students in planning and continually reviewing their own
career and college readiness plans and goals and in pursuing academic and applied and
experiential learning that helps them realize their goals; and
new text end

new text begin (3) identifying and applying valid and reliable measures of student progress and
program efficacy that, among other requirements, can accommodate students' prior
education-related experiences and applied and experiential learning that students acquire
via contextualized projects and other recognized learning opportunities.
new text end

new text begin (b) The partnership must help the commissioner of education and representatives
of secondary and postsecondary institutions and programs to collaborate in organizing
and implementing a framework of the foundational knowledge and skills and career
fields, clusters, and pathways for students enrolled in a secondary school, postsecondary
institution, or work-based program. The key elements of these programs of study for
students pursuing postsecondary workforce training or other education must include:
new text end

new text begin (1) competency-based curricula aligned with industry expectations and skill
standards;
new text end

new text begin (2) sequential course offerings that gradually build students' skills, enabling students
to graduate from high school and complete postsecondary programs;
new text end

new text begin (3) flexible and segmented course and program formats to accommodate students'
interests and needs;
new text end

new text begin (4) course portability to allow students to seamlessly progress in the students'
education and career; and
new text end

new text begin (5) sufficient and sufficiently strong P-20 connections to facilitate students'
uninterrupted skill building, provide students with career opportunities, and align
academic credentials with opportunities for advancement in high-skill, high-wage, and
high-demand occupations.
new text end

new text begin (c) The partnership must help stakeholders under this paragraph examine
possibilities for redesigning teacher and school administrator licensure requirements, and
make recommendations to the Board of Teaching and the Board of School Administrators,
respectively, to create specialized licenses, credentials, and other endorsement forms
to increase students' participation in language immersion programs, world language
instruction, career development opportunities, work-based learning, early college courses
and careers, career and technical education programs, Montessori schools, and project and
place-based learning, among other career and college-ready opportunities. Consistent with
the possibilities for redesigning educators' licenses, the stakeholders also must examine
how to restructure staff development and training opportunities under sections 120B.125
and 122A.60 to realize the goals of this subdivision.
new text end

new text begin (d) The partnership must facilitate collaboration between the Department
of Education, the Department of Employment and Economic Development, and
postsecondary institutions and systems to create a mobile, Web-based hub for students and
their families that centralizes existing resources on careers and employment trends and the
educational pathways required to attain such careers and employment.
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