1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to education; amending certain timelines for 
  1.3             the learn and earn graduation achievement program; 
  1.4             amending Minnesota Statutes 1997 Supplement, section 
  1.5             126.79, subdivisions 3 and 9. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1997 Supplement, section 
  1.8   126.79, subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
  1.9      Subd. 3.  [LOCAL PROGRAMS; APPLICATION PROCEDURE; GRANT 
  1.10  AWARDS.] The commissioner shall make grants to eligible 
  1.11  applicants to establish local learn and earn programs.  Each 
  1.12  program shall operate for at least a four-year period.  A local 
  1.13  program shall select its participants from among eligible 
  1.14  students who are entering or are in the ninth grade at the 
  1.15  inception of the program.  A program may not refill a program 
  1.16  slot with another student if a student drops out of the program. 
  1.17  Students selected to participate in the program shall be 
  1.18  considered part of the program class and students who drop out 
  1.19  may return to the program at any time prior to graduation. 
  1.20     The commissioner shall establish the application procedure 
  1.21  for awarding grants under this section.  The commissioner shall 
  1.22  begin awarding grants by ~~September 1, 1997~~ May 1, 1998. 
  1.23     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1997 Supplement, section 
  1.24  126.79, subdivision 9, is amended to read: 
  1.25     Subd. 9.  [EVALUATION AND REPORTS.] The commissioner shall 
  2.1   collect information about participating students and a 
  2.2   demographically similar control group and shall evaluate the 
  2.3   short-term and long-term benefits participating students receive 
  2.4   from the learn and earn graduation achievement program, based on 
  2.5   the outcome measures specified in subdivision 2, and any other 
  2.6   criteria established by the commissioner as part of the grant 
  2.7   application process.  The evaluation must include a statistical 
  2.8   comparison of students participating in the program and the 
  2.9   control group.  The commissioner shall track participating 
  2.10  students and the control group for a minimum of six years from 
  2.11  the start of the program.  The commissioner shall submit a 
  2.12  preliminary report to the governor and the chairs of the senate 
  2.13  and house committees having jurisdiction over education and 
  2.14  crime prevention by December 15, ~~2000~~ 2001, regarding 
  2.15  continuation of the learn and earn graduation achievement 
  2.16  program for participating schools and expansion of the program 
  2.17  to additional schools.  The commissioner shall submit a final 
  2.18  report by December 15, ~~2002~~ 2003. 
  2.19     Sec. 3.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  2.20     Sections 1 and 2 are effective the day following final 
  2.21  enactment.