1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; enabling sixth through eighth
1.3 	grade girls and boys to receive self-defense and
1.4 	conflict resolution training; requiring a model
1.5 	curriculum; amending Minnesota Statutes 2004, section
1.6 	120B.021, subdivision 1.
1.7 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.8 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 120B.021,
1.9 	subdivision 1, is amended to read:
1.10 		Subdivision 1.Required academic standards.  The
1.11 	following subject areas are required for statewide
1.12 	accountability:
1.13 	(1) language arts;
1.14 	(2) mathematics;
1.15 	(3) science;
1.16 	(4) social studies, including history, geography,
1.17 	economics, and government and citizenship;
1.18 	(5) health and physical education, for which locally
1.19 	developed academic standards, including self-defense and
1.20 	conflict resolution training for sixth through eighth grade
1.21 	girls and boys among other standards,apply; and
1.22 	(6) the arts, for which statewide or locally developed
1.23 	academic standards apply, as determined by the school district.
1.24 	Public elementary and middle schools must offer at least three
1.25 	and require at least two of the following four arts areas:
1.26 	dance; music; theater; and visual arts.  Public high schools
2.1 	must offer at least three and require at least one of the
2.2 	following five arts areas:  media arts; dance; music; theater;
2.3 	and visual arts.
2.4 	The commissioner must submit proposed standards in science
2.5 	and social studies to the legislature by February 1, 2004.
2.6 	For purposes of applicable federal law, the academic standards
2.7 	for language arts, mathematics, and science apply to all public
2.8 	school students, except the very few students with extreme
2.9 	cognitive or physical impairments for whom an individualized
2.10 	education plan team has determined that the required academic
2.11 	standards are inappropriate.  An individualized education plan
2.12 	team that makes this determination must establish alternative
2.13 	standards.
2.14 	A school district, no later than the 2007-2008 school year,
2.15 	must adopt graduation requirements that meet or exceed state
2.16 	graduation requirements established in law or rule.  A school
2.17 	district that incorporates these state graduation requirements
2.18 	before the 2007-2008 school year must provide students who enter
2.19 	the 9th grade in or before the 2003-2004 school year the
2.20 	opportunity to earn a diploma based on existing locally
2.21 	established graduation requirements in effect when the students
2.22 	entered the 9th grade.  District efforts to develop, implement,
2.23 	or improve instruction or curriculum as a result of the
2.24 	provisions of this section must be consistent with sections
2.25 	120B.10, 120B.11, and 120B.20.
2.26 	
EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for the
2.27 	2007-2008 school year and later.

2.28 	Sec. 2. MODEL CURRICULUM.
 2.29 	The commissioner of education must develop and transmit to
2.30 	school districts a model physical education curriculum that
2.31 	includes providing sixth through eighth grade girls and boys
2.32 	with self-defense and conflict resolution training.

2.33 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day
2.34 	following final enactment and applies to the 2007-2008 school
2.35 	year and later.