1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; providing for a technical 
  1.3             advisory committee to the Minnesota education 
  1.4             telecommunications council; providing for a learning 
  1.5             academy; providing for a learning resources network; 
  1.6             providing for site-based learning grants; providing 
  1.7             for a library site grant program; appropriating money; 
  1.8             amending Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 16B.465, 
  1.9             subdivision 3; Laws 1996, chapter 412, article 12, 
  1.10            section 8; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota 
  1.11            Statutes, chapter 121; repealing Minnesota Statutes 
  1.12            1996, section 134.46; Laws 1995, First Special Session 
  1.13            chapter 3, article 12, section 8. 
  1.14  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.15     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 16B.465, 
  1.16  subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
  1.17     Subd. 3.  [DUTIES.] The commissioner, after consultation 
  1.18  with the council, shall: 
  1.19     (1) provide voice, data, video, and other 
  1.20  telecommunications transmission services to the state and to 
  1.21  political subdivisions through an account in the 
  1.22  intertechnologies revolving fund; 
  1.23     (2) manage vendor relationships, network function, and 
  1.24  capacity planning in order to be responsive to the needs of the 
  1.25  system users; 
  1.26     (3) set rates and fees for services; 
  1.27     (4) approve contracts relating to the system; 
  1.28     (5) develop the system plan, including plans for the 
  1.29  phasing of its implementation and maintenance of the initial 
  2.1   system, and the annual program and fiscal plans for the system; 
  2.2   ~~and~~ 
  2.3      (6) develop a plan for interconnection of the network with 
  2.4   private colleges and public and private schools in the state~~.~~; 
  2.5   and 
  2.6      (7) establish technical standards for all Minnesota schools 
  2.7   and libraries to ensure interoperability of hardware, software, 
  2.8   and telecommunications; and develop technical standards for the 
  2.9   operation and maintenance of all Minnesota interactive 
  2.10  television cooperatives. 
  2.11     Sec. 2.  [121.97] [LEARNING ACADEMY.] 
  2.12     Subdivision 1.  [ESTABLISHMENT.] The Minnesota learning 
  2.13  academy is established to provide teachers, principals, school 
  2.14  district administrators, community education directors, and 
  2.15  librarians, training opportunities in technology use and its 
  2.16  integration into learning activities.  In the establishment and 
  2.17  governance of the academy, the commissioner shall consult with:  
  2.18  representatives of public schools, higher education, teacher 
  2.19  organizations, students, private business, state agencies, 
  2.20  libraries, and political subdivisions. 
  2.21     Subd. 3.  [DUTIES OF LEARNING ACADEMY.] The learning 
  2.22  academy shall: 
  2.23     (1) set measures for teacher training opportunities on 
  2.24  technical skills and technology integration skills; 
  2.25     (2) identify and establish outcomes for a series of 
  2.26  training courses that provide for technical skills and 
  2.27  technology classroom integration skills; 
  2.28     (3) recommend tuition costs for participation in training 
  2.29  courses; 
  2.30     (4) identify existing public or private institutions to 
  2.31  develop and provide training courses; 
  2.32     (5) establish procedures for school districts to purchase a 
  2.33  computer for the use of each teacher during school and nonschool 
  2.34  hours who completes the classroom integration skills courses; 
  2.35  and 
  2.36     (6) consider establishing prerequisites for the classroom 
  3.1   integration skills courses. 
  3.2      Sec. 3.  Laws 1996, chapter 412, article 12, section 8, is 
  3.3   amended to read: 
  3.4      Sec. 8.  [TECHNOLOGY; TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.] 
  3.5      The commissioner of the department of children, families, 
  3.6   and learning shall work with interested and involved 
  3.7   organizations including, but not limited to, representatives of 
  3.8   school districts, service cooperatives, TIES, education 
  3.9   districts, higher education institutions, public libraries, and 
  3.10  other government agencies to develop a technology planning guide 
  3.11  for school districts.  The department must distribute the guides 
  3.12  to school districts and hold regional meetings to discuss the 
  3.13  planning process.  The commissioner may consider a school 
  3.14  district's technology plan ~~in making technology-related funding~~ 
  3.15  ~~decisions.~~ and the degree to which it meets the technical 
  3.16  standards established by the Minnesota education 
  3.17  telecommunication council under Minnesota Statutes, section 
  3.18  16B.465. 
  3.19     Sec. 4.  [LEARNING RESOURCE NETWORK.] 
  3.20     A learning resource network shall be used by school sites 
  3.21  to align curriculum with the graduation standards and assist 
  3.22  teachers in delivery, assessment, curriculum integration, and 
  3.23  recordkeeping.  The network shall also be available to students 
  3.24  and parents to enhance the learning experience.  The learning 
  3.25  network of Minnesota shall serve as the conduit for the learning 
  3.26  resource network.  The commissioner shall consult with 
  3.27  representatives from the public and private sector in the use 
  3.28  and operation of the learning resource network. 
  3.29     Sec. 5.  [SITE-BASED LEARNING GRANTS.] 
  3.30     To be eligible for a site-based learning grant, a school 
  3.31  site must: 
  3.32     (1) be a public school site or partnership of school sites; 
  3.33     (2) have each dollar of grant money matched by at least one 
  3.34  dollar of school site money, including in-kind contributions; 
  3.35     (3) have each dollar of grant money matched by at least one 
  3.36  dollar of nonstate and nonschool site money, including in-kind 
  4.1   contributions; 
  4.2      (4) agree to disseminate and share information about its 
  4.3   project; 
  4.4      (5) benefit the greater community; and 
  4.5      (6) maintain its ongoing costs of technology support after 
  4.6   its initial funding under the learning grant program in this 
  4.7   section. 
  4.8      The commissioner shall make awards directly to a school 
  4.9   site or its designated fiscal agent.  The commissioner shall 
  4.10  consult with representatives of the public and private sectors 
  4.11  in awarding the grants. 
  4.12     Sec. 6.  [LIBRARY SITE GRANT PROGRAM.] 
  4.13     To be eligible for a grant under this section, a library 
  4.14  site must: 
  4.15     (1) be a community library, a school library, or a 
  4.16  partnership of community and school libraries; 
  4.17     (2) have each dollar of grant money matched by at least one 
  4.18  dollar of library site money, including in-kind contributions; 
  4.19     (3) have each dollar of grant money matched by at least one 
  4.20  dollar of nonstate and nonlibrary site money, including in-kind 
  4.21  contributions; 
  4.22     (4) agree to disseminate and share information about its 
  4.23  project; 
  4.24     (5) benefit the community; and 
  4.25     (6) maintain its ongoing costs of technology support after 
  4.26  its initial funding under this section. 
  4.27     The commissioner shall make awards directly to the library 
  4.28  site or school district containing a library site.  In awarding 
  4.29  the grants, the commissioner shall consult with representatives 
  4.30  of the public and private sector. 
  4.31     Sec. 7.  [APPROPRIATIONS.] 
  4.32     Subdivision 1.  [DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN, FAMILIES, AND 
  4.33  LEARNING.] The sums indicated in this section are appropriated 
  4.34  from the general fund to the department of children, families, 
  4.35  and learning for the fiscal years designated. 
  4.36     Subd. 2.  [TELECOMMUNICATION ACCESS GRANTS.] For grants to 
  5.1   school districts and regional public library systems to 
  5.2   establish connections to MNet according to Minnesota Statutes, 
  5.3   section 124C.74:  
  5.4        $8,250,000   .....     1998 
  5.5      Any balance in the first year does not cancel but is 
  5.6   available in the second year. 
  5.7      This amount is in addition to the amount already included 
  5.8   in the 1998-1999 base for the telecommunication access grants.  
  5.9   Of this appropriation, up to $150,000 may be used by the 
  5.10  department in support of the program.  Up to $3,000,000 in 1998 
  5.11  is for completion of district connections.  Up to $350,000 may 
  5.12  be used to provide support to school district recipients. 
  5.13     Before a district can receive a grant under this 
  5.14  subdivision in fiscal year 1999, the district must submit, to 
  5.15  the commissioner, evidence that it has pursued all possible 
  5.16  funding options, including ITV revenue under Minnesota Statutes, 
  5.17  section 124.91, subdivision 5.  Notwithstanding Minnesota 
  5.18  Statutes, section 124.91, subdivision 5, ITV revenue may also be 
  5.19  used for telecommunication access grants under Minnesota 
  5.20  Statutes, section 124C.74. 
  5.21     Subd. 3.  [TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVES.] For department support 
  5.22  of technology initiatives: 
  5.23       $   250,000    .....     1998 
  5.24       $   250,000    .....     1999 
  5.25     Subd. 4.  [LEARNING ACADEMY.] For learning academies under 
  5.26  section 2: 
  5.27       $ 2,000,000    .....     1998 
  5.28     This appropriation is available until expended. 
  5.29     The commissioner may work with private business partners to 
  5.30  facilitate the purchase of computers for teachers who complete 
  5.31  the classroom technology integration skills courses.  The 
  5.32  commissioner shall use these funds to offset financing charges 
  5.33  on the computer purchases by school districts. 
  5.34     Subd. 5.  [LEARNING RESOURCE NETWORK.] For the learning 
  5.35  resource network in section 4: 
  5.36       $ 7,000,000    .....     1998
  6.1      This appropriation is available until June 30, 1999. 
  6.2      The commissioner shall be responsible for the initial cost 
  6.3   of establishing the learning resource network.  A school site 
  6.4   choosing to be part of the network shall be responsible for the 
  6.5   ongoing costs. 
  6.6      Subd. 6.  [SITE-BASED LEARNING GRANTS.] For site-based 
  6.7   learning grants under section 5: 
  6.8        $50,000,000    .....     1998 
  6.9      This appropriation is available until June 30, 1999. 
  6.10     Subd. 7.  [LIBRARY SITE GRANT PROGRAM.] For library site 
  6.11  grants under section 6: 
  6.12       $ 4,650,000    .....     1998 
  6.13     This appropriation is available until June 30, 1999. 
  6.14     Sec. 8.  [REPEALER.] 
  6.15     Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 134.46, is repealed.  Laws 
  6.16  1995, First Special Session chapter 3, article 12, section 8, is 
  6.17  repealed.