1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; making proficiency in a second world language a 
1.3 	requirement for high school graduation;amending Minnesota Statutes 2008, 
1.4 	sections 120B.021; 120B.022, subdivision 1; 120B.023, subdivision 2; 120B.024.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 120B.021, is amended to read:
1.7 	120B.021 REQUIRED ACADEMIC STANDARDS.
1.8 		Subdivision 1.Required academic standards. The following subject areas are 
1.9 	required for statewide accountability:
1.10 	(1) language arts;
1.11 	(2) mathematics;
1.12 	(3) science;
1.13 	(4) social studies, including history, geography, economics, and government and 
1.14 	citizenship;
1.15 	(5) health and physical education, for which locally developed academic standards 
1.16 	apply; and
1.17 	(6) the arts, for which statewide or locally developed academic standards apply, as 
1.18 	determined by the school district. Public elementary and middle schools must offer at least 
1.19 	three and require at least two of the following four arts areas: dance; music; theater; and 
1.20 	visual arts. Public high schools must offer at least three and require at least one of the 
1.21 	following five arts areas: media arts; dance; music; theater; and visual arts.; and
1.22 	(7) world languages where graduating high school seniors demonstrate an 
1.23 	intermediate-low level of proficiency based on the most current guidelines of the 
1.24 	American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.
2.1 	The commissioner must submit proposed standards in science and social studies to 
2.2 	the legislature by February 1, 2004.
2.3 	For purposes of applicable federal law, the academic standards for language arts, 
2.4 	mathematics, and science apply to all public school students, except the very few students 
2.5 	with extreme cognitive or physical impairments for whom an individualized education 
2.6 	plan team has determined that the required academic standards are inappropriate. 
2.7 	An individualized education plan team that makes this determination must establish 
2.8 	alternative standards.
2.9 	With the exception of the world languages graduation requirement under clause 
2.10 	(7), a school district, no later than the 2007-2008 school year, must adopt graduation 
2.11 	requirements that meet or exceed state graduation requirements established in law or 
2.12 	rule. A school district that incorporates these state graduation requirements before the 
2.13 	2007-2008 school year must provide students who enter the 9th grade in or before 
2.14 	the 2003-2004 school year the opportunity to earn a diploma based on existing locally 
2.15 	established graduation requirements in effect when the students entered the 9th grade. A 
2.16 	district must adopt a world languages graduation requirement under clause (7) that applies 
2.17 	beginning with 9th grade students in the 2010-2011 school year and later. District efforts 
2.18 	to develop, implement, or improve instruction or curriculum as a result of the provisions 
2.19 	of this section must be consistent with sections 120B.10, 120B.11, and 120B.20. 
2.20 	The commissioner must include the contributions of Minnesota American Indian 
2.21 	tribes and communities as they relate to the academic standards during the review and 
2.22 	revision of the required academic standards.
2.23 		Subd. 1a.Rigorous course of study; waiver. (a) Upon receiving a student's 
2.24 	application signed by the student's parent or guardian, a school district, area learning 
2.25 	center, or charter school must declare that a student meets or exceeds a specific academic 
2.26 	standard required for graduation under this section if the local school board, the school 
2.27 	board of the school district in which the area learning center is located, or the charter 
2.28 	school board of directors determines that the student:
2.29 	(1) is participating in a course of study, including an advanced placement or 
2.30 	international baccalaureate course or program; a learning opportunity outside the 
2.31 	curriculum of the district, area learning center, or charter school; or an approved 
2.32 	preparatory program for employment or postsecondary education that is equally or more 
2.33 	rigorous than the corresponding state or local academic standard required by the district, 
2.34 	area learning center, or charter school;
3.1 	(2) would be precluded from participating in the rigorous course of study, learning 
3.2 	opportunity, or preparatory employment or postsecondary education program if the student 
3.3 	were required to achieve the academic standard to be waived; and
3.4 	(3) satisfactorily completes the requirements for the rigorous course of study, 
3.5 	learning opportunity, or preparatory employment or postsecondary education program.
3.6 	Consistent with the requirements of this section, the local school board, the school board 
3.7 	of the school district in which the area learning center is located, or the charter school 
3.8 	board of directors also may formally determine other circumstances in which to declare 
3.9 	that a student meets or exceeds a specific academic standard that the site requires for 
3.10 	graduation under this section.
3.11 	(b) A student who satisfactorily completes a postsecondary enrollment options 
3.12 	course or program under section 124D.09, or an advanced placement or international 
3.13 	baccalaureate course or program under section 120B.13, is not required to complete other 
3.14 	requirements of the academic standards corresponding to that specific rigorous course 
3.15 	of study.
3.16 		Subd. 2.Standards development. (a) The commissioner must consider advice 
3.17 	from at least the following stakeholders in developing statewide rigorous core academic 
3.18 	standards in language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, including history, 
3.19 	geography, economics, government and citizenship, and the arts, and world languages:
3.20 	(1) parents of school-age children and members of the public throughout the state;
3.21 	(2) teachers throughout the state currently licensed and providing instruction in 
3.22 	language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, or the arts, or world languages and 
3.23 	licensed elementary and secondary school principals throughout the state currently 
3.24 	administering a school site;
3.25 	(3) currently serving members of local school boards and charter school boards 
3.26 	throughout the state;
3.27 	(4) faculty teaching core subjects at postsecondary institutions in Minnesota; and
3.28 	(5) representatives of the Minnesota business community.
3.29 	(b) Academic standards must:
3.30 	(1) be clear, concise, objective, measurable, and grade-level appropriate;
3.31 	(2) not require a specific teaching methodology or curriculum; and
3.32 	(3) be consistent with the Constitutions of the United States and the state of 
3.33 	Minnesota.
3.34 		Subd. 3.Rulemaking. The commissioner, consistent with the requirements of 
3.35 	this section and section 120B.022, must adopt statewide rules under section 14.389 for 
3.36 	implementing statewide rigorous core academic standards in language arts, mathematics, 
4.1 	science, social studies, and the arts, and world languages. After the rules authorized under 
4.2 	this subdivision are initially adopted, the commissioner may not amend or repeal these 
4.3 	rules nor adopt new rules on the same topic without specific legislative authorization. The 
4.4 	academic standards for language arts, mathematics, and the arts must be implemented for 
4.5 	all students beginning in the 2003-2004 school year. The academic standards for science 
4.6 	and social studies must be implemented for all students beginning in the 2005-2006 school 
4.7 	year. The academic standards for world languages must be implemented beginning with 
4.8 	all 9th grade students in the 2010-2011 school year.

4.9 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment 
4.10 	and applies beginning with all 9th grade students in the 2010-2011 school year and later.

4.11 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 120B.022, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
4.12 		Subdivision 1.Elective standards. (a) A district must establish its own standards in 
4.13 	the following subject areas:
4.14 	(1) vocational and technical education; and
4.15 	(2) world languages.
4.16 	A school district must offer courses in all elective subject areas.
4.17 	(b) Consistent with sections 120B.021 and 120B.023, subdivision 2, paragraph 
4.18 	(g), and to the extent students speak or are interested in becoming proficient speakers in 
4.19 	multiple world languages, world languages teachers and other school staff should develop 
4.20 	and implement world languages programs that acknowledge and reinforce the language 
4.21 	proficiency and cultural awareness that non-English language speakers already possess, 
4.22 	and encourage students' proficiency in multiple world languages. Programs under this 
4.23 	paragraph must encompass indigenous American Indian languages and cultures, among 
4.24 	other world languages and cultures. The department shall consult with postsecondary 
4.25 	institutions in developing related professional development opportunities.

4.26 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment 
4.27 	and applies beginning with all 9th grade students in the 2010-2011 school year and later.

4.28 	Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 120B.023, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
4.29 		Subd. 2.Revisions and reviews required. (a) The commissioner of education must 
4.30 	revise and appropriately embed technology and information literacy standards consistent 
4.31 	with recommendations from school media specialists into the state's academic standards 
4.32 	and graduation requirements and implement a review cycle for state academic standards 
4.33 	and related benchmarks, consistent with this subdivision. During each review cycle, the 
5.1 	commissioner also must examine the alignment of each required academic standard and 
5.2 	related benchmark with the knowledge and skills students need for college readiness and 
5.3 	advanced work in the particular subject area.
5.4 	(b) The commissioner in the 2006-2007 school year must revise and align the state's 
5.5 	academic standards and high school graduation requirements in mathematics to require 
5.6 	that students satisfactorily complete the revised mathematics standards, beginning in the 
5.7 	2010-2011 school year. Under the revised standards:
5.8 	(1) students must satisfactorily complete an algebra I credit by the end of eighth 
5.9 	grade; and
5.10 	(2) students scheduled to graduate in the 2014-2015 school year or later must 
5.11 	satisfactorily complete an algebra II credit or its equivalent.
5.12 	The commissioner also must ensure that the statewide mathematics assessments 
5.13 	administered to students in grades 3 through 8 and 11 beginning in the 2010-2011 
5.14 	school year are aligned with the state academic standards in mathematics. The statewide 
5.15 	11th grade mathematics test administered to students under clause (2) beginning in 
5.16 	the 2013-2014 school year must include algebra II test items that are aligned with 
5.17 	corresponding state academic standards in mathematics. The commissioner must 
5.18 	implement a review of the academic standards and related benchmarks in mathematics 
5.19 	beginning in the 2015-2016 school year.
5.20 	(c) The commissioner in the 2007-2008 school year must revise and align the state's 
5.21 	academic standards and high school graduation requirements in the arts to require that 
5.22 	students satisfactorily complete the revised arts standards beginning in the 2010-2011 
5.23 	school year. The commissioner must implement a review of the academic standards and 
5.24 	related benchmarks in arts beginning in the 2016-2017 school year.
5.25 	(d) The commissioner in the 2008-2009 school year must revise and align the state's 
5.26 	academic standards and high school graduation requirements in science to require that 
5.27 	students satisfactorily complete the revised science standards, beginning in the 2011-2012 
5.28 	school year. Under the revised standards, students scheduled to graduate in the 2014-2015 
5.29 	school year or later must satisfactorily complete a chemistry or physics credit. The 
5.30 	commissioner must implement a review of the academic standards and related benchmarks 
5.31 	in science beginning in the 2017-2018 school year.
5.32 	(e) The commissioner in the 2009-2010 school year must revise and align the state's 
5.33 	academic standards and high school graduation requirements in language arts to require 
5.34 	that students satisfactorily complete the revised language arts standards beginning in the 
5.35 	2012-2013 school year. The commissioner must implement a review of the academic 
5.36 	standards and related benchmarks in language arts beginning in the 2018-2019 school year.
6.1 	(f) The commissioner in the 2010-2011 school year must revise and align the state's 
6.2 	academic standards and high school graduation requirements in social studies to require 
6.3 	that students satisfactorily complete the revised social studies standards beginning in the 
6.4 	2013-2014 school year. The commissioner must implement a review of the academic 
6.5 	standards and related benchmarks in social studies beginning in the 2019-2020 school year.
6.6 	(g) The commissioner in the 2009-2010 school year must establish state world 
6.7 	languages academic standards, supplemented by related benchmarks, that require students 
6.8 	beginning 9th grade in the 2010-2011 school year and later, as a condition of graduating 
6.9 	from a public high school, to demonstrate an intermediate-low level of proficiency based 
6.10 	on the most current guidelines of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign 
6.11 	Languages.  Consistent with section 120B.022, subdivision 1, paragraph (b), governing 
6.12 	the language proficiency and cultural awareness of non-English language speakers, an 
6.13 	intermediate-low level of proficiency in a world language other than English that is 
6.14 	recognized by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages satisfies 
6.15 	the requirements of this paragraph. The commissioner must implement a review of 
6.16 	the academic standards and related benchmarks in world languages beginning in the 
6.17 	2015-2016 school year.
6.18 	(h) School districts and charter schools must revise and align local academic 
6.19 	standards and high school graduation requirements in health, physical education, world 
6.20 	languages, and career and technical education to require students to complete the revised 
6.21 	standards beginning in a school year determined by the school district or charter school. 
6.22 	School districts and charter schools must formally establish a periodic review cycle for 
6.23 	the academic standards and related benchmarks in health, physical education, world 
6.24 	languages, and career and technical education.

6.25 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment 
6.26 	and applies beginning with all 9th grade students in the 2010-2011 school year and later.

6.27 	Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 120B.024, is amended to read:
6.28 	120B.024 GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS; COURSE CREDITS.
6.29 	(a) Students beginning 9th grade in the 2004-2005 school year and later must 
6.30 	successfully complete the following high school level course credits for graduation, 
6.31 	except the three credits of world languages and four elective course credits which apply 
6.32 	beginning in the 2010-2011 school year and later:
6.33 	(1) four credits of language arts;
7.1 	(2) three credits of mathematics, encompassing at least algebra, geometry, statistics, 
7.2 	and probability sufficient to satisfy the academic standard;
7.3 	(3) three credits of science, including at least one credit in biology;
7.4 	(4) three and one-half credits of social studies, encompassing at least United 
7.5 	States history, geography, government and citizenship, world history, and economics or 
7.6 	three credits of social studies encompassing at least United States history, geography, 
7.7 	government and citizenship, and world history, and one-half credit of economics taught in 
7.8 	a school's social studies, agriculture education, or business department;
7.9 	(5) one credit in the arts; and
7.10 	(6) three credits of world languages; and
7.11 	(7) a minimum of seven four elective course credits.
7.12 	A course credit is equivalent to a student successfully completing an academic 
7.13 	year of study or a student mastering the applicable subject matter, as determined by the 
7.14 	local school district.
7.15 	(b) An agriculture science course may fulfill a science credit requirement in addition 
7.16 	to the specified science credits in biology and chemistry or physics under paragraph (a), 
7.17 	clause (3).
7.18 	(c) A career and technical education course may fulfill a science, mathematics, or 
7.19 	arts credit requirement in addition to the specified science, mathematics, or arts credits 
7.20 	under paragraph (a), clause (2), (3), or (5).

7.21 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment 
7.22 	and applies beginning with all 9th grade students in the 2010-2011 school year and later.