1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to education; convening a working group to 
  1.3             recommend how best to develop and deliver a 
  1.4             preparation program for school administrators who, as 
  1.5             credentialed turn-around specialists, are trained to 
  1.6             successfully implement educational and business 
  1.7             principles to turn around the performance of 
  1.8             consistently low-performing schools. 
  1.9   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.10     Section 1.  [RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TURN-AROUND SPECIALISTS.] 
  1.11     (a) The commissioner of education and the Board of School 
  1.12  Administrators jointly shall convene a working group to: 
  1.13     (1) recommend to the commissioner, the Board of School 
  1.14  Administrators, and the legislature how best to develop and 
  1.15  deliver a preparation program for school administrators who, as 
  1.16  credentialed turn-around specialists, are trained to 
  1.17  successfully implement educational and business principles to 
  1.18  turn around the performance of consistently low-performing 
  1.19  schools; and 
  1.20     (2) consider additional options to create a support network 
  1.21  and provide follow-up training to turn-around specialists 
  1.22  working in assigned schools and to operate an office or center 
  1.23  for administering the program on an on-going basis. 
  1.24     This school leadership program must train and credential 
  1.25  licensed school administrators as experts in using business and 
  1.26  educational management principles to turn around low-performing 
  1.27  schools.  The working group must anticipate that the first ten 
  2.1   program participants begin training in school turn-around 
  2.2   management in the 2005-2006 school year, receive a certificate 
  2.3   in school turn-around management upon successfully completing 
  2.4   the program, and are placed as principals for a minimum of three 
  2.5   school years in consistently low-performing schools beginning in 
  2.6   the 2006-2007 school year.  The program must focus on successful 
  2.7   business and education strategies that are effective in 
  2.8   redirecting or "turning-around" low performing organizations.  
  2.9   The program must provide participants with information and 
  2.10  practical experience in proven business management strategies 
  2.11  that can be applied to educational leadership, including 
  2.12  effective organizational management, finance and accounting 
  2.13  practices, restructuring and renewing troubled organizations, 
  2.14  turn-around and crisis management, and business and education 
  2.15  law. 
  2.16     (b) The working group must include representatives of each 
  2.17  of the following organizations:  
  2.18     (1) four-year postsecondary institutions; 
  2.19     (2) school principals; 
  2.20     (3) business organizations; 
  2.21     (4) school boards; 
  2.22     (5) kindergarten through grade 12 full-time public school 
  2.23  teachers currently teaching in a kindergarten through grade 12 
  2.24  classroom; 
  2.25     (6) school business officials; and 
  2.26     (7) school administrators.  
  2.27     By February 1, 2005, the commissioner of education and the 
  2.28  Board of School Administrators jointly shall submit the working 
  2.29  group's written recommendations under this section to the 
  2.30  legislative committees charged with overseeing kindergarten 
  2.31  through grade 12 education policy and finance. 
  2.32     (c) The terms, compensation, and removal of members of the 
  2.33  working group are governed by Minnesota Statutes, section 
  2.34  15.059, subdivision 6.  The working group expires on February 1, 
  2.35  2005. 
  2.36     <b>[EFFECTIVE DATE.]</b> This section is effective the day 
  3.1   following final enactment.