Minnesota Legislature
HF 1736
as introduced - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026) Posted on 03/03/2025 06:15pm
Bill Text Versions
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| Introduction | Posted on 02/27/2025 |
Current Version - as introduced
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A bill for an act
relating to early education; establishing early childhood literacy pilot programs;
appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 124D.162.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
Section 1.
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 124D.162, is amended to read:
124D.162 KINDERGARTEN ENTRY ASSESSMENT.
Subdivision 1.
Assessment required.
The commissioner of education must implement
a kindergarten entry assessment of incoming kindergartners to identify the percent of
kindergartners who meet or exceed end-of-year prekindergarten early learning standards.
Subd. 2.
Process.
(a) deleted text begin School districts and charter schools must choose a kindergarten
entry assessment tool from a menudeleted text end new text begin The commissioner must identify a selectionnew text end of valid and
reliable measurement instruments approved by the department that:
(1) are aligned to the state early childhood indicators of progress and kindergarten
standards and are based on the criteria to be an early learning assessment approved by the
department;
(2) support the comprehensive achievement and civic readiness goals in section 120B.11,
subdivision 1, paragraph (c); deleted text begin and
deleted text end
(3) are based, in part, on information collected from teachers, early learning professionals,
families, and other partnersdeleted text begin .deleted text end new text begin ; and
new text end
new text begin
(4) are aligned to the tools used for screening under section 120B.12.
new text end
(b) The department must provide technical assistance and professional development
related to the assessment required under this section to educators, school districts, and charter
schools.
new text begin
(c) The requirements under section 16C.08 do not apply to the selection of tools under
this section.
new text end
Subd. 3.
Reporting.
School districts and charter schools must annually report the results
of kindergarten entry assessments to the department in a form and manner determined by
the commissioner that is concurrent with a district's and charter school's comprehensive
achievement and civic readiness report under section 120B.11, subdivision 5. The
commissioner must publicly report kindergarten readiness results as part of the performance
reports required under section 120B.36 and in a manner consistent with section 120B.35,
subdivision 3, paragraph (a), clause (2).
Subd. 4.
Implementation.
The requirements under this section must be phased in over
three school years with all school districts and charter schools complying beginning with
the deleted text begin 2025-2026deleted text end new text begin 2026-2027new text end school year.
Sec. 2. new text begin EARLY CHILDHOOD LITERACY PILOT PROGRAMS.
new text end
new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end
new text begin Definitions. new text end
new text begin
(a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms have
the meanings given.
new text end
new text begin
(b) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of education.
new text end
new text begin
(c) "Structured literacy" has the meaning given in Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.119,
subdivision 15.
new text end
new text begin Subd. 2. new text end
new text begin Expert panel. new text end
new text begin
(a) The commissioner must convene an expert panel to review
literacy research and make recommendations for improving early childhood literacy. The
expert panel must be made up of:
new text end
new text begin
(1) state and national experts in structured literacy, including but not limited to researchers
and practitioners; and
new text end
new text begin
(2) experts in developmentally appropriate practice, assessment, curriculum, professional
development, and family engagement, including but not limited to researchers who have
studied literacy for early education, early educators, caregivers, family advocates, and
individuals from organizations working in support of young children's education and
development.
new text end
new text begin
(b) The expert panel must review original research and reports related to early childhood
literacy and identify solutions based on structured literacy that support whole child
development in the areas of:
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new text begin
(1) family engagement;
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new text begin
(2) curricula;
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new text begin
(3) professional development;
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new text begin
(4) instructional practices; and
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new text begin
(5) assessment practices and tiered intervention models.
new text end
new text begin
(c) The expert panel must make recommendations to the commissioner on practices in
the areas specified in paragraph (b) for inclusion in pilot programs under this section. The
expert panel must recommend practices that are evidence-based or that the panel agrees
warrant testing as part of a pilot program. The full set of recommendations must be designed
to improve outcomes in the kindergarten entry assessment under Minnesota Statutes, section
124D.162.
new text end
new text begin Subd. 3. new text end
new text begin Pilot programs. new text end
new text begin
(a) To the extent funding is available, the commissioner must
implement pilot programs based on the recommendations of the expert panel.
new text end
new text begin
(b) To the extent practicable, the commissioner must implement the pilot programs
required under this section in different early care and learning settings, including in public
school prekindergarten programs, Head Start programs, licensed family child care settings,
licensed child care centers, and children's home environments.
new text end
new text begin Subd. 4. new text end
new text begin Evaluation. new text end
new text begin
(a) The commissioner must contract with an independent research
organization to develop and implement an evaluation of the pilot programs required under
this section to determine each program's effectiveness in showing growth on measures of
literacy outcomes for children in preschool and early elementary grades.
new text end
new text begin
(b) During the evaluation, children's prereading skills must be measured using assessments
that have been validated as predictive of future reading performance, including but not
limited to measurement conducted as part of required screening under Minnesota Statutes,
section 120B.12.
new text end
new text begin Subd. 5. new text end
new text begin Annual and comprehensive reviews. new text end
new text begin
(a) Each year a pilot program is in effect,
the commissioner must convene a public meeting to:
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new text begin
(1) review each implemented pilot program's successes and barriers;
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new text begin
(2) review the results of evaluations required under this section; and
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(3) make recommendations to improve implementation of the pilot programs and each
program's efficacy.
new text end
new text begin
(b) Each public meeting must include legislators, members of the expert panel, pilot
program participants, and evaluators.
new text end
new text begin
(c) In addition to convening the annual review meetings, the commissioner must examine
initial and long-term outcome evaluation results required under this section across all
developmental domains within the state's early childhood indicators of progress.
new text end
new text begin Subd. 6. new text end
new text begin Recommendations. new text end
new text begin
By February 1, 2029, the commissioner must submit to
the legislative committees with jurisdiction over early childhood education recommendations
for implementing, on a larger scale, proven approaches for improving early childhood
literacy based on the results of the pilot programs implemented under this section.
new text end
new text begin Subd. 7. new text end
new text begin Coordination with the commissioner of children, youth, and families. new text end
new text begin
The
commissioner must work in coordination with the commissioner of children, youth, and
families to carry out the requirements of this section.
new text end
Sec. 3. 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 sum indicated in this section is
appropriated from the general fund to the Department of Education in the fiscal year
designated.
new text end
new text begin Subd. 2. new text end
new text begin Early childhood literacy pilot programs. new text end
new text begin
(a) For implementation, evaluation,
and review of early childhood literacy pilot programs:
new text end
|
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$ new text end |
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3,500,000 new text end |
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..... new text end |
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2026 new text end |
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(b) This is a onetime appropriation and is available until June 30, 2029.
new text end