Minnesota Session Laws - 1997, Regular Session

                              CHAPTER 1-H.F.No. 1 
                  An act relating to education; repealing the K-12 
                  education appropriations caps; permitting statewide 
                  testing; appropriating money; amending Minnesota 
                  Statutes 1996, sections 121.11, subdivision 7c; 
                  121.1115, by adding a subdivision; 124.17, subdivision 
                  1; and 124A.22, subdivision 2; repealing Laws 1995, 
                  First Special Session chapter 3, article 14, section 
                  5, as amended. 
        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
           Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 121.11, 
        subdivision 7c, is amended to read: 
           Subd. 7c.  [RESULTS-ORIENTED GRADUATION RULE.] (a) The 
        legislature is committed to establishing a rigorous, 
        results-oriented graduation rule for Minnesota's public school 
        students.  To that end, the state board shall use its rulemaking 
        authority under subdivision 7b to adopt a statewide, 
        results-oriented graduation rule to be implemented starting with 
        students beginning ninth grade in the 1996-1997 school year.  
        The board shall not prescribe in rule or otherwise the delivery 
        system, or form of instruction, or a single statewide form of 
        assessment that local sites must use to meet the requirements 
        contained in this rule. 
           (b) To successfully accomplish paragraph (a), the state 
        board shall set in rule high academic standards for all 
        students.  The standards must contain the foundational skills in 
        the three core curricular areas of reading, writing, and 
        mathematics while meeting requirements for high school 
        graduation.  The standards must also provide an opportunity for 
        students to excel by meeting higher academic standards through a 
        profile of learning that uses curricular requirements to allow 
        students to expand their knowledge and skills beyond the 
        foundational skills.  All state board actions regarding the rule 
        must be premised on the following:  
           (1) the rule is intended to raise academic expectations for 
        students, teachers, and schools; 
           (2) any state action regarding the rule must evidence 
        consideration of school district autonomy; and 
           (3) the department of children, families, and learning, 
        with the assistance of school districts, must make available 
        information about all state initiatives related to the rule to 
        students and parents, teachers, and the general public in a 
        timely format that is appropriate, comprehensive, and readily 
        understandable. 
           (c) For purposes of adopting the rule, the state board, in 
        consultation with the department, recognized psychometric 
        experts in assessment, and other interested and knowledgeable 
        educators, using the most current version of professional 
        standards for educational testing, shall evaluate the 
        alternative approaches to assessment.  
           (d) The content of the graduation rule must differentiate 
        between minimum competencies reflected in the basic requirements 
        assessment and rigorous profile of learning standards.  When 
        fully implemented, the requirements for high school graduation 
        in Minnesota must include both basic requirements and the 
        required profile of learning.  The profile of learning must 
        measure student performance using performance-based assessments 
        compiled over time that integrate higher academic standards, 
        higher order thinking skills, and application of knowledge from 
        a variety of content areas.  The profile of learning shall 
        include a broad range of academic experience and accomplishment 
        necessary to achieve the goal of preparing students to function 
        effectively as purposeful thinkers, effective communicators, 
        self-directed learners, productive group participants, and 
        responsible citizens. 
           (e) The state board shall periodically review and report on 
        the assessment process and student achievement with the 
        expectation of raising the standards and expanding high school 
        graduation requirements. 
           (f) The state board shall report in writing to the 
        legislature annually by January 15 on its progress in developing 
        and implementing the graduation requirements according to the 
        requirements of this subdivision and section 123.97 until such 
        time as all the graduation requirements are implemented. 
           Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 121.1115, is 
        amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
           Subd. 1a.  [STATEWIDE TESTING.] Each school year, all 
        school districts shall give a uniform statewide test to students 
        at specified grades to provide information on the status, needs 
        and performance of Minnesota students. 
           Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 124.17, 
        subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
           Subdivision 1.  [PUPIL UNIT.] Pupil units for each resident 
        pupil in average daily membership shall be counted according to 
        this subdivision.  
           (a) A prekindergarten pupil with a disability who is 
        enrolled in a program approved by the commissioner and has an 
        individual education plan is counted as the ratio of the number 
        of hours of assessment and education service to 825 with a 
        minimum of 0.28, but not more than one. 
           (b) A prekindergarten pupil who is assessed but determined 
        not to be handicapped is counted as the ratio of the number of 
        hours of assessment service to 825.  
           (c) A kindergarten pupil with a disability who is enrolled 
        in a program approved by the commissioner is counted as the 
        ratio of the number of hours of assessment and education 
        services required in the fiscal year by the pupil's individual 
        education program plan to 875, but not more than one. 
           (d) A kindergarten pupil who is not included in paragraph 
        (c) is counted as .53 of a pupil unit for fiscal year 1995 and 
        thereafter. 
           (e) A pupil who is in any of grades 1 to 6 is counted as 
        1.06 pupil units for fiscal year 1995 and thereafter. 
           (f) For fiscal year 1996 and fiscal year 1997, A pupil who 
        is in any of grades 7 to 12 is counted as 1.3 pupil units.  For 
        fiscal year 1998, a pupil who is in any of grades 7 to 12 is 
        counted as 1.25 pupil units.  For fiscal year 1999 and later 
        years, a pupil who is in any of grades 7 to 12 is counted as 1.2 
        pupil units. 
           (g) For fiscal year 1996 and fiscal year 1997, A pupil who 
        is in the post-secondary enrollment options program is counted 
        as 1.3 pupil units.  For fiscal year 1998, a pupil who is in the 
        post-secondary enrollment options program is counted as 1.25 
        pupil units.  For fiscal year 1999 and later years, a pupil who 
        is in the post-secondary enrollment options program is counted 
        as 1.2 pupil units. 
           (h) In fiscal year 1998, the pupil units used in computing 
        a district's general education revenue and referendum revenue 
        may not be reduced by more than two percent due to the reduction 
        in the secondary pupil weight from 1.3 as specified in 
        paragraphs (f) and (g).  In fiscal year 1999 and later years, 
        the pupil units used in computing a district's general education 
        revenue and referendum revenue may not be decreased by more than 
        four percent due to the reduction in the secondary weight from 
        1.3 as specified in paragraphs (f) and (g). 
           Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 124A.22, 
        subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
           Subd. 2.  [BASIC REVENUE.] The basic revenue for each 
        district equals the formula allowance times the actual pupil 
        units for the school year.  The formula allowance for fiscal 
        year 1995 is $3,150.  The formula allowance for fiscal year 1996 
        is $3,205.  The formula allowance for fiscal year 1997 is $3,505 
        and for fiscal year 1998 and subsequent fiscal years the formula 
        allowance is $3,430 $3,505. 
           Sec. 5.  [REPEALER.] 
           Laws 1995, First Special Session chapter 3, article 14, 
        section 5, as amended by Laws 1996, chapter 412, article 14, 
        section 3, is repealed. 
           Sec. 6.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
           Sections 1 and 3 to 5 are effective the day following final 
        enactment.  Section 2 is effective for the 1997-1998 school year.
           Presented to the governor February 13, 1997 
           Signed by the governor February 14, 1997, 11:35 a.m.