Skip to main content Skip to office menu Skip to footer
Capital IconMinnesota Legislature

SF 1554

as introduced - 90th Legislature (2017 - 2018) Posted on 02/28/2017 09:55am

KEY: stricken = removed, old language.
underscored = added, new language.

Current Version - as introduced

Line numbers 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6
1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 2.25 2.26 2.27 2.28 2.29 2.30 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23 3.24 3.25 3.26 3.27 3.28 3.29
3.30
4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17 4.18 4.19

A bill for an act
relating to education; modifying the duties and expiration of the Online and Digital
Learning Advisory Council; providing for a grant program to support digital
curriculum development in Minnesota schools; amending Minnesota Statutes 2016,
section 124D.095, subdivision 10.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 124D.095, subdivision 10, is amended to
read:


Subd. 10.

Online and Digital Learning Advisory Council.

(a) An Online and Digital
Learning Advisory Council is established. The term for each council member shall be three
years. The advisory council is composed of 14 members from throughout the state who
have demonstrated experience with or interest in online learning. Two members of the
council must represent technology business. The remaining membership must represent the
following interests:

(1) superintendents;

(2) special education specialists;

(3) technology directors;

(4) teachers;

(5) rural, urban, and suburban school districts;

(6) supplemental programs;

(7) full-time programs;

(8) consortia;

(9) charter schools;

(10) Board of Teaching-approved teacher preparation programs; and

(11) parents.

deleted text begin Thedeleted text end Members of the council shall be appointed by the commissionernew text begin in consultation
with the chairs and ranking minority members of the house of representatives and senate
committees having jurisdiction over kindergarten through grade 12 education policy
new text end .

(b) The advisory council shall deleted text begin bring to the attention of the commissioner and the
legislature any matters related to online and digital learning. The advisory council shall
provide input to the department and the legislature in
deleted text end new text begin make policy recommendations to the
commissioner and chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees having
jurisdiction over kindergarten through grade 12 education policy by December 15 of each
year regarding
new text end online learning matters related, but not restricted, to:

deleted text begin (1) quality assurance;
deleted text end

deleted text begin (2) teacher qualifications;
deleted text end

deleted text begin (3) program approval;
deleted text end

deleted text begin (4) special education;
deleted text end

deleted text begin (5) attendance;
deleted text end

deleted text begin (6) program design and requirements; and
deleted text end

deleted text begin (7) fair and equal access to programs.
deleted text end

deleted text begin (c) The advisory council with the support of the Minnesota Department of Education
and the Minnesota Learning Commons shall:
deleted text end

deleted text begin (1) oversee the development and maintenance of a catalog of publicly available digital
learning content currently aligned to Minnesota academic standards to include:
deleted text end

deleted text begin (i) indexing of Minnesota academic standards with which curriculum is aligned;
deleted text end

deleted text begin (ii) a method for student and teacher users to provide evaluative feedback; and
deleted text end

deleted text begin (iii) a plan for ongoing maintenance; and
deleted text end

deleted text begin (2) recommend methods for including student performance data on the digital learning
content within the catalog.
deleted text end

deleted text begin (d) The advisory council shall also consider and provide input to the department and
legislature on digital learning matters including, but not limited to:
deleted text end

(1) a review and approval process to ensure the quality of online learning providers
based on teacher qualifications, support for special education services, definitions of student
attendance, program design, and equal access;

(2) effective use of technology and related instructional strategies to improve student
outcomes and advance students' 21st century skills and knowledge;

(3) measures to determine the impact of various forms of online and digital learning in
and outside of the classroom;

(4) resources to help parents, students, and schools choose among enrollment options
in a transparent education system;

(5) how to personalize or differentiate learning to meet the needs, abilities, and learning
styles of each student and support students' ownership of their learning so that all students
are digital learners and have access to high-quality digital curriculum in every class and
grade level;

(6) professional development in best practices to prepare current and future teachers,
other education leaders, and other school staff to use and evaluate the effectiveness of digital
tools and instructional strategies, provide personalized or differentiated instruction, and
focus on competency-based learning and advancement so that all educators have a digital
presence and use high-quality digital curriculum;

(7) support for collaborative efforts to leverage resources for digital instructional content
and curriculum; and

(8) barriers to improving the use of classroom technology and methods to ensure that
each student has access to a digital device and high-speed Internet at school and at home.

deleted text begin (e) The advisory council shall make policy recommendations to the commissioner and
committees of the legislature having jurisdiction over kindergarten through grade 12
education annually by December 15 of each year, including implementation plans based on
recommendations from previous councils and task forces related to online and digital
learning.
deleted text end

deleted text begin (f)deleted text end new text begin (c)new text end The Online and Digital Learning Advisory Council under this subdivision expires
June 30, deleted text begin 2016deleted text end new text begin 2020new text end .

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective retroactively from June 30, 2016.
new text end

Sec. 2. 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 Digital curriculum development. new text end

new text begin (a) For grants to develop and implement
digital curriculum consistent with Minnesota academic standards:
new text end

new text begin $
new text end
new text begin 2,500,000
new text end
new text begin .....
new text end
new text begin 2018
new text end
new text begin $
new text end
new text begin 2,500,000
new text end
new text begin .....
new text end
new text begin 2019
new text end

new text begin Any balance in the first year does not cancel and is available in the second year. The
base for fiscal year 2020 is $0.
new text end

new text begin (b) One or more school districts, charter schools, service cooperatives, or intermediate
districts may apply to the commissioner in the form and manner determined by the
commissioner for a grant to develop and implement digital curriculum consistent with
Minnesota academic standards. Eligible uses of the grant include but are not limited to
creating or purchasing digital curriculum and system development. The commissioner must
award at least one grant to an applicant that proposes to create a new, digital, open educational
resource for statewide use. The commissioner must award at least one grant to an applicant
that proposes to expand access to an existing online learning program. The maximum award
in each year is $500,000 per applicant.
new text end