1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; extending the Options Plus 
  1.3             pilot program; appropriating money; amending Laws 
  1.4             1995, First Special Session chapter 3, article 3, 
  1.5             section 11, subdivisions 1, 2, and 5. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Laws 1995, First Special Session chapter 3, 
  1.8   article 3, section 11, subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  1.9      Subdivision 1.  [PURPOSE.] A pilot program is established 
  1.10  to support general education classroom teachers who teach 
  1.11  children with specific learning disabilities.  The goals of the 
  1.12  pilot program are to: 
  1.13     (1) increase participation of these children in 
  1.14  noncategorical programming designed to encourage their maximum 
  1.15  potential and maintain their self-esteem; 
  1.16     (2) demonstrate results in measurable educational outcomes; 
  1.17     (3) provide alternatives to special education that focus on 
  1.18  children's educational progress and results, respond to the 
  1.19  individual child, are efficient and cost-effective, and ensure 
  1.20  the rights of eligible children and their families to due 
  1.21  process; 
  1.22     (4) increase general education's ability to educate in a 
  1.23  manner that decreases the need for pull-out programs for 
  1.24  students with specific learning disabilities; and 
  1.25     (5) implement alternative approaches to conflict 
  2.1   resolution; and 
  2.2      (6) provide assistive technology to make individualized 
  2.3   student accommodations. 
  2.4      Sec. 2.  Laws 1995, First Special Session chapter 3, 
  2.5   article 3, section 11, subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  2.6      Subd. 2.  [DEFINITIONS.] For the purposes of this section 
  2.7   the terms defined in this subdivision have the meanings given 
  2.8   them. 
  2.9      (a) "Accommodation" means any technique that alters the 
  2.10  educational setting to enable the child to reach the child's 
  2.11  maximum potential and to demonstrate more accurately the child's 
  2.12  knowledge and educational progress.  Accommodations may include, 
  2.13  but are not limited to:  preferential seating, paraphrasing of 
  2.14  information, instructions, practice activities and directions 
  2.15  provided in a manner consistent with the child's learning style, 
  2.16  opportunity for increased response time, more frequent 
  2.17  opportunity for review, extended time to complete assignments 
  2.18  and tests, larger print for assignments or tests, special study 
  2.19  sheets, extended or untimed tests, oral testing and answering, 
  2.20  and use of assistive technology within and outside the 
  2.21  educational environment. 
  2.22     (b) "Assistive technology device" means any item, piece of 
  2.23  equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off 
  2.24  the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, 
  2.25  maintain, or improve functional capabilities is as defined in 
  2.26  Minnesota Statutes, section 120.187. 
  2.27     (c) "Competency" means a documented and demonstrated 
  2.28  attitude, skill, or knowledge base resulting in an ability of 
  2.29  general education personnel to provide accommodations, 
  2.30  modifications, and personalized instruction, according to the 
  2.31  eligible child's individual learning styles, within general 
  2.32  education environments. 
  2.33     (d) "Consistently available" means that education personnel 
  2.34  who demonstrate competency are site-based and designated as a 
  2.35  resource for the development and use of accommodations, 
  2.36  modifications, and personalized instruction in general education.
  3.1      (e) "Eligible children" means those children who have 
  3.2   specific learning disabilities or conditions related to these 
  3.3   disabilities according to recognized professional standards and 
  3.4   documented by appropriately licensed personnel. 
  3.5      (f) "Learner plan" means a concise written plan that is 
  3.6   based on the eligible child's documented specific learning 
  3.7   disabilities and needs; includes the eligible child's strengths 
  3.8   that may compensate for those differences and needs; provides 
  3.9   the child, the child's parent, and all general education 
  3.10  personnel responsible for direct instruction with information 
  3.11  that results in clear understanding and subsequent use of 
  3.12  accommodations, modifications, and personalized instruction; and 
  3.13  includes methods of evaluating the child's progress that are 
  3.14  consistent with learning differences, needs, strengths, 
  3.15  modifications, and accommodations, and are at intervals 
  3.16  identical to the student population of the school in which the 
  3.17  child participating in Options Plus is enrolled. 
  3.18     (g) "Modification" means any technique that alters the 
  3.19  school work required, makes it different from the school work 
  3.20  required or other students in the same course, and encourages 
  3.21  the eligible child to reach the child's maximum potential and 
  3.22  facilitate educational success.  Modifications may include, but 
  3.23  are not limited to:  copies of teacher notes and lesson plans, 
  3.24  assisted note taking, reduced or altered assignments, increased 
  3.25  assignments in areas of strength, alternative test formats, 
  3.26  modified testing, peer assistance, cooperative learning, and 
  3.27  modified grading such as documentation of progress and results. 
  3.28     (h) "Parent" means a parent, guardian, or person acting as 
  3.29  a parent of a child. 
  3.30     (i) "Personalized instruction" means direct instruction 
  3.31  designed with knowledge of the child's learning style, 
  3.32  strengths, and differences, to assist the child to gain in skill 
  3.33  areas, so the child demonstrates progress toward and outcomes 
  3.34  necessary to become a successful citizen. 
  3.35     Sec. 3.  Laws 1995, First Special Session chapter 3, 
  3.36  article 3, section 11, subdivision 5, is amended to read: 
  4.1      Subd. 5.  [USE OF FUNDS.] Options Plus pilot program grants 
  4.2   shall be used to supplement staff development funding under 
  4.3   Minnesota Statutes, section 124A.29, to train general education 
  4.4   classroom teachers to meet the needs of children with specific 
  4.5   learning disabilities and provide assistive technology devices 
  4.6   in a general education setting.  The training shall result in 
  4.7   each participating teacher achieving the following competencies: 
  4.8      (1) understanding and communicating to the parents of the 
  4.9   child the options available for instruction; 
  4.10     (2) the ability to assess the learning environment and 
  4.11  provide the necessary accommodations, modifications, and 
  4.12  personalized instruction necessary to meet the needs of the 
  4.13  child; and 
  4.14     (3) the ability to work collaboratively and in teams with 
  4.15  other teachers and support and related services staff; and 
  4.16     (4) the ability to teach children to use the assistive 
  4.17  technology devices. 
  4.18     Sec. 4.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  4.19     The sums indicated are appropriated for the fiscal year 
  4.20  designated from the general fund to the commissioner of 
  4.21  children, families, and learning for grants to school districts 
  4.22  for Options Plus pilot programs: 
  4.23       $300,000     .....     1998 
  4.24       $300,000     .....     1999 
  4.25     Each initial grant or expansion site shall not exceed 
  4.26  $50,000.  Each continuing grant shall not exceed $25,000.  This 
  4.27  appropriation is available until June 30, 1999.  Recipients are 
  4.28  encouraged to use other staff development resources if available.