1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; making world languages a 
  1.3             required academic standard; amending Minnesota 
  1.4             Statutes 2003 Supplement, sections 120B.021, 
  1.5             subdivisions 1, 2; 120B.022, subdivision 1.  
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2003 Supplement, section 
  1.8   120B.021, subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  1.9      Subdivision 1.  [REQUIRED ACADEMIC STANDARDS.] The 
  1.10  following subject areas are required for statewide 
  1.11  accountability: 
  1.12     (1) language arts; 
  1.13     (2) mathematics; 
  1.14     (3) science; 
  1.15     (4) social studies, including history, geography, 
  1.16  economics, and government and citizenship; ~~and~~ 
  1.17     (5) world languages, for which statewide or locally 
  1.18  developed academic standards apply, as determined by the school 
  1.19  district; and 
  1.20     (6) the arts, for which statewide or locally developed 
  1.21  academic standards apply, as determined by the school district.  
  1.22  Public elementary and middle schools must offer at least three 
  1.23  and require at least two of the following four arts areas:  
  1.24  dance; music; theater; and visual arts.  Public high schools 
  1.25  must offer at least three and require at least one of the 
  2.1   following five arts areas:  media arts; dance; music; theater; 
  2.2   and visual arts.  
  2.3      The commissioner must submit proposed standards in science 
  2.4   and social studies to the legislature by February 1, 2004.  
  2.5   For purposes of applicable federal law, the academic standards 
  2.6   for language arts, mathematics, and science apply to all public 
  2.7   school students, except the very few students with extreme 
  2.8   cognitive or physical impairments for whom an individualized 
  2.9   education plan team has determined that the required academic 
  2.10  standards are inappropriate.  An individualized education plan 
  2.11  team that makes this determination must establish alternative 
  2.12  standards. 
  2.13     A school district, no later than the 2007-2008 school year, 
  2.14  must adopt graduation requirements that meet or exceed state 
  2.15  graduation requirements established in law or rule.  A school 
  2.16  district that incorporates these state graduation requirements 
  2.17  before the 2007-2008 school year must provide students who enter 
  2.18  the 9th grade in or before the 2003-2004 school year the 
  2.19  opportunity to earn a diploma based on existing locally 
  2.20  established graduation requirements in effect when the students 
  2.21  entered the 9th grade.  District efforts to develop, implement, 
  2.22  or improve instruction or curriculum as a result of the 
  2.23  provisions of this section must be consistent with sections 
  2.24  120B.10, 120B.11, and 120B.20.  
  2.25     <b>[EFFECTIVE DATE.]</b> This section is effective for the 
  2.26  2005-2006 school year and later.  
  2.27     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2003 Supplement, section 
  2.28  120B.021, subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  2.29     Subd. 2.  [STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT.] (a) The commissioner 
  2.30  must consider advice from at least the following stakeholders in 
  2.31  developing statewide rigorous core academic standards in 
  2.32  language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, including 
  2.33  history, geography, economics, government and citizenship, world 
  2.34  languages, and the arts: 
  2.35     (1) parents of school-age children and members of the 
  2.36  public throughout the state; 
  3.1      (2) teachers throughout the state currently licensed and 
  3.2   providing instruction in language arts, mathematics, science, 
  3.3   social studies, world languages, or the arts and licensed 
  3.4   elementary and secondary school principals throughout the state 
  3.5   currently administering a school site; 
  3.6      (3) currently serving members of local school boards and 
  3.7   charter school boards throughout the state; 
  3.8      (4) faculty teaching core subjects at postsecondary 
  3.9   institutions in Minnesota; and 
  3.10     (5) representatives of the Minnesota business community. 
  3.11     (b) Academic standards must: 
  3.12     (1) be clear, concise, objective, measurable, and 
  3.13  grade-level appropriate; 
  3.14     (2) not require a specific teaching methodology or 
  3.15  curriculum; and 
  3.16     (3) be consistent with the Constitutions of the United 
  3.17  States and the state of Minnesota. 
  3.18     <b>[EFFECTIVE DATE.]</b> This section is effective the day 
  3.19  following final enactment.  
  3.20     Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 2003 Supplement, section 
  3.21  120B.022, subdivision 1, is amended to read: 
  3.22     Subdivision 1.  [ELECTIVE STANDARDS.] A district must 
  3.23  establish its own standards in the following subject areas: 
  3.24     (1) health and physical education; and 
  3.25     (2) vocational and technical education~~; and~~ 
  3.26     ~~(3) world languages~~. 
  3.27     A school district must offer courses in all elective 
  3.28  subject areas. 
  3.29     Sec. 4.  [PROPOSED ACADEMIC STANDARDS.] 
  3.30     The commissioner of education must submit proposed academic 
  3.31  standards in world languages to the legislature by February 1, 
  3.32  2005. 
  3.33     <b>[EFFECTIVE DATE.]</b> This section is effective the day 
  3.34  following final enactment.