1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; establishing a pilot program 
  1.3             for alternative staffing patterns; appropriating money.
  1.4   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.5      Section 1.  [ALTERNATIVE STAFFING PILOT PROGRAM.] 
  1.6      Subdivision 1.  [ESTABLISHED; PURPOSE.] A pilot program is 
  1.7   established to encourage and support schools and school 
  1.8   districts to create opportunities for teachers, educational 
  1.9   specialists, school administrators, student teachers, teacher 
  1.10  interns or residents, clerical aides and educational assistants, 
  1.11  and other qualified adults to organize alternative staffing 
  1.12  patterns, provide lead teachers with additional preparation time 
  1.13  and offer students more adult assistance.  The program must be 
  1.14  administered by the commissioner of education. 
  1.15     Subd. 2.  [SITE TEAM REQUIRED.] Before a school or school 
  1.16  district organizes an alternative staffing pattern under this 
  1.17  section, it must enter into a school site decision-making 
  1.18  agreement delegating governance, management, or control to a 
  1.19  school site team under Minnesota Statutes, section 123.951.  The 
  1.20  team must include a representative of the exclusive 
  1.21  representative of the teachers of the district, chosen by the 
  1.22  teachers at the site from among the teachers at the site. 
  1.23     Subd. 3.  [PREREQUISITES.] (a) A school district that 
  1.24  elects to organize a school using an alternative staffing 
  2.1   pattern under this section may organize the pattern in 
  2.2   cooperation with the school site team under Minnesota Statutes, 
  2.3   section 123.951, when: 
  2.4      (1) one or more certified staff members employed by the 
  2.5   district elect to retire from service with the district; 
  2.6      (2) one or more certified staff members employed by the 
  2.7   district are employed by another employer; 
  2.8      (3) there is a lack of pupils in the district's schools; 
  2.9      (4) classes are merged in the district as a result of 
  2.10  consolidating districts; 
  2.11     (5) financial limitations require a reduction in licensed 
  2.12  staff in the district's schools; 
  2.13     (6) the district elects to cooperate in its instructional 
  2.14  services with another unit of government; 
  2.15     (7) there is an increase from one school year before the 
  2.16  pilot program begins to the next of at least ten percent in the 
  2.17  number of students of limited English proficiency in the 
  2.18  district's schools; or 
  2.19     (8) an existing teaching position is discontinued in the 
  2.20  district. 
  2.21     (b) The constraints for developing alternative staffing 
  2.22  patterns under paragraph (a) apply to all school districts, 
  2.23  including school districts experiencing either a decline or 
  2.24  growth in total student enrollment. 
  2.25     Subd. 4.  [CALCULATING PUPIL-TEACHER RATIOS.] When 
  2.26  calculating and reporting pupil-teacher ratios in elementary 
  2.27  schools, school boards participating in the pilot program also 
  2.28  must indicate the number of other appropriately skilled or 
  2.29  trained adults who work with the classroom teacher to provide 
  2.30  the instructional program to students as a part of the pilot 
  2.31  program.  School boards must not include in the calculation 
  2.32  education assistants who assist a licensed special education 
  2.33  teacher in providing services to students under Minnesota 
  2.34  Statutes, section 120.17. 
  2.35     Subd. 5.  [INSTRUCTION CONTACT TIME.] (a) In a pilot 
  2.36  program under this section, instruction or instructional support 
  3.1   may be provided by a qualified adult, including a student's 
  3.2   classroom teacher, by another classroom teacher, by a team of 
  3.3   classroom teachers, by a teacher resident under Minnesota 
  3.4   Statutes, section 125.230, by a teacher intern who has received 
  3.5   an initial teaching license and is enrolled in a master's level 
  3.6   education program, or by an education assistant or aide directed 
  3.7   by a licensed teacher.  
  3.8      (b) A qualified adult does not include a teacher for whom 
  3.9   categorical aids are received under Minnesota Statutes, section 
  3.10  124.273 or 124.32, or supervisory and support personnel.  A 
  3.11  qualified adult also does not include an educational assistant 
  3.12  who assists in providing a service or program under Minnesota 
  3.13  Statutes, section 120.17. 
  3.14     Subd. 6.  [REVENUE.] (a) A school district participating in 
  3.15  the pilot program may use in the pilot program up to 50 percent 
  3.16  of revenue available to it under Minnesota Statutes, section 
  3.17  124A.225.  The revenue, if used in the pilot program, must be 
  3.18  used to reduce and maintain the district's adult-student ratios 
  3.19  in kindergarten through grade 6 to a level of 1 to 17 on 
  3.20  average.  The district must prioritize the use of the revenue to 
  3.21  attain this level initially in kindergarten through grade 4 and 
  3.22  then grades 5 and 6 as revenue is available.  The revenue may be 
  3.23  used to prepare and use an individualized learning plan for each 
  3.24  student.  A district must not increase the district wide 
  3.25  adult-student ratios in other grades as a result of reducing 
  3.26  adult-student ratios in kindergarten through grade 6.  Except as 
  3.27  otherwise provided in this section, revenue must not be used to 
  3.28  provide instructor preparation time or to provide the district's 
  3.29  share of revenue required under Minnesota Statutes, section 
  3.30  124.311.  Revenue may be used to continue employment for 
  3.31  nonlicensed staff employed in Minnesota Statutes, section 
  3.32  124.331, subdivision 2. 
  3.33     (b) If the school board of a school district participating 
  3.34  in the pilot program determines that the district has achieved 
  3.35  and is maintaining the adult-student ratios specified in 
  3.36  paragraph (a) and is using individualized learning plans, the 
  4.1   school board may use the revenue available for the pilot program 
  4.2   under paragraph (a) to purchase material and services or provide 
  4.3   staff development needed for reduced adult-student ratios.  If 
  4.4   additional revenue remains, the district must use the revenue to 
  4.5   improve program offerings, including programs provided through 
  4.6   interactive television, throughout the district or other general 
  4.7   education purposes. 
  4.8      Subd. 7.  [STAFF DEVELOPMENT AND PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT 
  4.9   REVENUE.] For a district participating in the pilot program, 25 
  4.10  percent of the revenue available to it under Minnesota Statutes, 
  4.11  section 124A.29, subdivision 1, that is for grants to school 
  4.12  sites for exemplary use of staff development revenue may be used 
  4.13  for the pilot program. 
  4.14     Subd. 8.  [RESIDENCY PROGRAM.] (a) Notwithstanding 
  4.15  Minnesota Statutes, section 125.230, subdivision 3, the 
  4.16  residency program of a school district participating in the 
  4.17  pilot program must require among requirements otherwise imposed 
  4.18  by law or by the board of teachers: 
  4.19     (1) collaboration with one or more teacher education 
  4.20  institutions, career teachers, and other community experts to 
  4.21  provide local or regional professional development seminars or 
  4.22  other structured learning experiences for teaching residents; 
  4.23  and 
  4.24     (2) that a teaching resident's direct classroom supervision 
  4.25  responsibilities be between 80 and 90 percent of the 
  4.26  instructional time required of a full-time equivalent teacher in 
  4.27  the district. 
  4.28     (b) During the time a resident does not supervise a class, 
  4.29  the resident must participate in professional development 
  4.30  activities according to the individual plan developed by the 
  4.31  resident in conjunction with the school's mentoring team.  
  4.32  Examples of development activities include observing other 
  4.33  teachers, sharing experiences with other teaching residents, and 
  4.34  professional meetings and workshops. 
  4.35     Subd. 9.  [ADDITIONAL PREPARATORY TIME.] Notwithstanding 
  4.36  other law, a district may provide preparatory time in addition 
  5.1   to that amount otherwise required or authorized by law to 
  5.2   teachers participating in the pilot program. 
  5.3      Sec. 2.  [COMMISSIONER TO PICK PARTICIPANTS; AWARD GRANTS.] 
  5.4      By August 1, 1995, the commissioner must designate up to ...
  5.5   school districts and sites as participants in the pilot program 
  5.6   from responses to requests for proposals for imaginative, 
  5.7   effective, and efficient alternative staffing pattern plans that 
  5.8   conform to the requirements of section 1 and may award grants to 
  5.9   the participants for staff development related to the pilot 
  5.10  program.  The commissioner may award annual renewing grants to 
  5.11  the participants or any of them for up to four succeeding years. 
  5.12     Sec. 3.  [EVALUATION.] 
  5.13     The commissioner shall evaluate each pilot program for its 
  5.14  short-term and long-term effects. 
  5.15     Sec. 4.  [REPORT TO LEGISLATURE.] 
  5.16     Beginning in 1996, the commissioner must report to the 
  5.17  legislature annually by January 15 on the pilot program and must 
  5.18  issue a final report to the legislature in 2000. 
  5.19     Sec. 5.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  5.20     $....... for 1996 and $....... for 1997 are appropriated 
  5.21  from the general fund to the commissioner of education to make 
  5.22  grants for staff developments as provided in section 2.