1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; establishing a three-year pilot 
  1.3             project to explore alternative models for delivering 
  1.4             education by expanding the flexible learning year 
  1.5             program.  
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  [ALTERNATIVE MODELS FOR DELIVERING EDUCATION; 
  1.8   EXPANDING THE FLEXIBLE LEARNING YEAR PROGRAM.] 
  1.9      Subdivision 1.  [ESTABLISHMENT; GOAL.] A three-year pilot 
  1.10  project is established to permit participating school districts 
  1.11  and school sites approved by the commissioner of children, 
  1.12  families, and learning under subdivision 2 to use alternative 
  1.13  models for delivering education by expanding the flexible 
  1.14  learning year program under Minnesota Statutes, sections 124D.12 
  1.15  to 124D.127.  The project is intended to explore effective 
  1.16  alternatives for delivering education, with the goal of 
  1.17  improving instruction and students' educational outcomes and 
  1.18  opportunities and increasing the cost-effectiveness of 
  1.19  educational programs. 
  1.20     Subd. 2.  [ELIGIBILITY; APPLICATIONS.] The commissioner 
  1.21  shall make application forms available to school districts and 
  1.22  school sites interested in exploring effective alternative 
  1.23  models for delivering instruction during a redefined flexible 
  1.24  learning year as described in this section.  Interested school 
  1.25  districts and school sites must have their application to 
  2.1   participate in this program first approved by the local school 
  2.2   board and a majority of teachers employed in the district or at 
  2.3   the site, respectively, after a public hearing on the matter.  
  2.4   Applications must be submitted to the commissioner by January 1, 
  2.5   2002.  The application must describe how the applicant proposes 
  2.6   to realize the goal of this project, including what activities 
  2.7   and procedures the applicant proposes to develop and implement 
  2.8   and the specific changes in the learning year the applicant 
  2.9   requires to accomplish those activities and procedures.  The 
  2.10  commissioner, consistent with the requirements of this section, 
  2.11  shall approve ... applications before March 1, 2002. 
  2.12     Subd. 3.  [EXEMPTIONS.] (a) Notwithstanding other laws or 
  2.13  rules to the contrary, a participant in the pilot project under 
  2.14  this section is exempt from Minnesota Statutes, sections 120A.40 
  2.15  and 120A.41, through the 2004-2005 school year.  Minnesota 
  2.16  Statutes, sections 124D.12 to 124D.127, apply through the 
  2.17  2004-2005 school year except to the extent that the provisions 
  2.18  of this section or the participant's learning year changes 
  2.19  conflict with particular provisions in Minnesota Statutes, 
  2.20  sections 124D.12 to 124D.127. 
  2.21     (b) Consistent with this section, a participant may adopt a 
  2.22  learning year calendar that allows the participant to suitably 
  2.23  fulfill the educational needs of its students using an 
  2.24  alternative learning year calendar.  The commissioner must 
  2.25  provide participants with a formula for computing average daily 
  2.26  membership so that all formulas based upon average daily 
  2.27  membership are not affected as a result of participating in this 
  2.28  pilot project. 
  2.29     Subd. 4.  [TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.] The commissioner, at the 
  2.30  request of a participant, must provide technical assistance to 
  2.31  the participant.  Also, the commissioner must assist 
  2.32  participants in developing and implementing a valid and uniform 
  2.33  procedure to evaluate the efficacy of their alternative learning 
  2.34  year calendar, consistent with the goals of this section. 
  2.35     Subd. 5.  [EVALUATION; REPORT.] (a) Participants must 
  2.36  complete a formative and summative evaluation of their 
  3.1   experiences in delivering education under an alternative 
  3.2   learning year calendar.  Participants must focus the evaluation 
  3.3   on the overall efficacy of the pilot project, including the 
  3.4   cost-effectiveness of educational programs and the extent to 
  3.5   which students' educational outcomes and opportunities 
  3.6   improved.  Participants shall use their interim evaluations, 
  3.7   with the commissioner's approval, to modify their project where 
  3.8   appropriate. 
  3.9      (b) Participants shall submit to the commissioner a 
  3.10  progress report by September 1, 2004, and a final report by 
  3.11  January 1, 2006, evaluating the cost-effectiveness of 
  3.12  educational programs and the extent to which students' 
  3.13  educational outcomes and opportunities improved.  The 
  3.14  commissioner shall compile the reports to present to the 
  3.15  committees in the legislature that deal with education policy 
  3.16  and education finance by March 1, 2006.  When presenting the 
  3.17  report, the commissioner must recommend whether or not to 
  3.18  continue or expand this pilot project. 
  3.19     <b>[EFFECTIVE DATE.]</b> This section is effective the day 
  3.20  following final enactment.