SF 2589

1st Engrossment - 89th Legislature (2015 - 2016) Posted on 03/30/2016 08:33am

A bill for an act
relating to higher education; establishing requirements for supplemental and
developmental education; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes,
chapter 136F.

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

Section 1.

new text begin [136F.33] SUPPLEMENTAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL EDUCATION.
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new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Definitions. new text end

new text begin (a) For purposes of this section, the following terms
have the meanings given.
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new text begin (b) "Academic weakness" means an academic skill determined to be below college
ready according to a formalized assessment.
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new text begin (c) "Corequisite" means a course or other requirement that is taken simultaneously
with a credit-bearing course for the purpose of providing targeted support.
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new text begin (d) "Credit-bearing course" means a college entry-level course that meets the
requirements for a diploma, certificate, or degree.
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new text begin (e) "Developmental education" means the building of foundational skills in noncredit
courses or programs to promote academic success in college-level coursework.
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new text begin (f) "Gateway course" means an initial credit-bearing course in a subject.
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new text begin (g) "Supplemental instruction" means a targeted support model for students with
academic weaknesses to promote academic success in credit-bearing courses.
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new text begin (h) "Targeted support" means academic support, including but not limited to
tutoring and directed group study time, related to increasing a student's understanding of
a credit-bearing course.
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new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Program requirements. new text end

new text begin (a) The board shall develop and implement varied
research-grounded tiered approaches to supplemental instruction and developmental
education based on student academic readiness. The tiered approach must minimize the
placement of students in developmental education under subdivision 5 by providing a
supplemental instruction course structure that results in earning the equivalent of credit in
a credit-bearing course while providing targeted support to a student who:
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new text begin (1) did not meet the minimum course placement criteria for a credit-bearing course;
and
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new text begin (2) using multiple measures of assessment, is identified as likely to succeed in a
credit-bearing course if targeted support is provided.
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new text begin (b) The board shall establish campus-specific tiered approaches including strategies
under subdivision 3 that are:
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new text begin (1) focused on the skills and competencies essential for success in the math and
English college-level courses; and
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new text begin (2) based on the nature of individual campus academic programming and the needs
of specific campus student populations.
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new text begin (c) To facilitate the transfer of credits, the transcript record for a supplemental
instruction course must include a credit-bearing course or a designation of equivalency to
a specific credit-bearing course.
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new text begin (d) The board shall make available to students on its Web site, in course catalogs, and
by other methods at the discretion of the board, the supplemental instruction, developmental
education, and corequisite courses offered at a particular college or university.
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new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Support strategies. new text end

new text begin (a) The board shall continuously monitor and adopt
strategies that have the potential or that have proven to increase the placement and success
of students in credit-bearing courses. If the board finds that strategies are successful at
one campus or program, the board must assess whether the strategies would be beneficial
campuswide or systemwide and, if it determines that it would, must implement the strategy
for all campus or system programs in which the strategy is predicted to be successful. The
board may discontinue the strategy for those programs where it does not prove beneficial.
new text end

new text begin (b) Consistent with subdivision 2, strategies may include, but are not limited to:
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new text begin (1) replacing developmental or remedial courses, when appropriate, with corequisite
courses in which students with academic weaknesses are placed into introductory
credit-bearing courses while receiving supplemental academic instruction on the same
subject and during the same term;
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new text begin (2) expanding proactive advising, including the use of early alert systems or
requiring the approval of an adviser or counselor to register for certain classes;
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new text begin (3) developing meta-majors in broad academic disciplines as an alternative to
undecided majors;
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new text begin (4) making available alternative mathematics curriculum, including curriculum most
relevant to the student's chosen area of study;
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new text begin (5) implementing "opt-out scheduling" by automatically enrolling students in a
schedule of courses chosen by the student's department but allowing students to disenroll
from those courses if they meet with an academic adviser and cosign a change of
enrollment form; and
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new text begin (6) facilitating the transfer of credits between state colleges and universities.
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new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Assessments and advising. new text end

new text begin (a) Common student placement assessments
must provide information identifying academic weaknesses that must be provided to the
student. A student assessed below college ready must be provided:
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new text begin (1) materials designed to address identified academic weaknesses;
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new text begin (2) support to prepare for and retake placement assessments;
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new text begin (3) postassessment advising to assist in making informed decisions on identifying
academic weaknesses and targeting supplemental instruction options; and
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new text begin (4) additional targeted support while enrolled in college-level math and English
courses.
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new text begin (b) Intrusive advising must be provided to a student who participates in supplemental
instruction programs but has been unsuccessful in achieving academic success. Advising
must include career and employment options, alternative career pathways, and related
educational opportunities.
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new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Developmental education. new text end

new text begin (a) The board shall create a framework to
redesign developmental education to provide a student who does not meet the criteria for
inclusion in a supplemental instruction course the opportunity to complete gateway math
and English courses within one academic year. The board must provide developmental
education to a student or advise the student to enroll in adult basic education.
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new text begin (b) The board shall not require a student who has successfully taken a developmental
course under section 124D.09, subdivision 10, to participate in a developmental education
course in the same subject area.
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new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Report. new text end

new text begin Annually by January 15, the board shall report to the chairs
and ranking minority members of the legislature with primary jurisdiction over higher
education finance on the goal of increasing the placement and success of students in
credit-bearing courses. The report must, at a minimum, include:
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new text begin (1) the following information on board activities:
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new text begin (i) strategies the board has adopted at each campus under subdivision 2, paragraph (b);
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new text begin (ii) strategies that have been discontinued at each campus; and
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new text begin (iii) strategies being considered for systemwide implementation; and
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new text begin (2) the following information on students:
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new text begin (i) the number and percent of students placed in developmental education;
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new text begin (ii) the number and percent of students who complete developmental education
within one academic year;
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new text begin (iii) the number and percent of students that complete gateway courses in math
and English in one academic year;
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new text begin (iv) the student retention rate;
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new text begin (v) time to complete a degree or certificate; and
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new text begin (vi) credits earned by those completing a degree, certificate, or other program.
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new text begin The report must disaggregate student data by race, ethnicity, Pell Grant eligibility,
and age and provide aggregate data.
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