Minnesota Session Laws - 2012, Regular Session

CHAPTER 130--S.F.No. 1213

An act

relating to education; modifying adult education tracking system;

amending Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 124D.52, subdivision 7.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 124D.52, subdivision 7, is amended to read:

Subd. 7.

Performance tracking system.

(a) By July 1, 2000, each approved adult basic education program must develop and implement a performance tracking system to provide information necessary to comply with federal law and serve as one means of assessing the effectiveness of adult basic education programs. new text begin For required reporting, longitudinal studies, and program improvement, new text end the tracking system must be designed to collect data on the following core outcomes for learners who have completed deleted text begin participation deleted text end new text begin participating new text end in the adult basic education program:

(1) demonstrated improvements in literacy skill levels in reading, writing, speaking the English language, numeracy, problem solving, English language acquisition, and other literacy skills;

(2) placement in, retention in, or completion of postsecondary education, training, unsubsidized employment, or career advancement; deleted text begin and deleted text end

(3) receipt of a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent new text begin ; and new text end

new text begin (4) reduction in participation in the diversionary work program, Minnesota family investment program, and food support education and training program new text end .

(b) A district, group of districts, state agency, or private nonprofit organization providing an adult basic education program may meet this requirement by developing a tracking system based on either or both of the following methodologies:

(1) conducting a reliable follow-up survey; or

(2) submitting student information, including Social Security numbers for data matching.

Data related to obtaining employment must be collected in the first quarter following program completion or can be collected while the student is enrolled, if known. Data related to employment retention must be collected in the third quarter following program exit. Data related to any other specified outcome may be collected at any time during a program year.

(c) When a student in a program is requested to provide the student's Social Security number, the student must be notified in a written form easily understandable to the student that:

(1) providing the Social Security number is optional and no adverse action may be taken against the student if the student chooses not to provide the Social Security number;

(2) the request is made under section 124D.52, subdivision 7;

(3) if the student provides the Social Security number, it will be used to assess the effectiveness of the program by tracking the student's subsequent career; and

(4) the Social Security number will be shared with the Department of Education; Minnesota State Colleges and Universities; new text begin Office of Higher Education; Department of Human Services; new text end and deleted text begin the deleted text end Department of Employment and Economic Development in order to accomplish the purposes deleted text begin of this section deleted text end new text begin described in paragraph (a) new text end and will not be used for any other purpose or reported to any other governmental entities.

(d) Annually a district, group of districts, state agency, or private nonprofit organization providing programs under this section must forward the tracking data collected to the Department of Education. For the purposes of longitudinal studies on the employment status of former students under this section, the Department of Education must forward the Social Security numbers to the Department of Employment and Economic Development to electronically match the Social Security numbers of former students with wage detail reports filed under section 268.044. The results of data matches must, for purposes of this section and consistent with the requirements of the United States Code, title 29, section 2871, of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, be compiled in a longitudinal form by the Department of Employment and Economic Development and released to the Department of Education in the form of summary data that does not identify the individual students. The Department of Education may release this summary data. State funding for adult basic education programs must not be based on the number or percentage of students who decline to provide their Social Security numbers or on whether the program is evaluated by means of a follow-up survey instead of data matching.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment and applies through the 2020-2021 school year. new text end

Presented to the governor March 6, 2012

Signed by the governor March 8, 2012, 9:40 a.m.