1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; establishing a pilot project to help struggling students in 
1.3 	grades 3 to 5 read at grade level; appropriating money.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. PILOT PROJECT TO HELP STRUGGLING STUDENTS READ AT 
1.6 	GRADE LEVEL.
 1.7 	(a) A pilot project for fiscal year 2017 is established to help struggling, 
1.8 	underperforming students in grades 3 to 5 read at grade level and close the academic 
1.9 	achievement gap. Under this pilot project, the commissioner of education shall make a 
1.10 	grant to a qualified and experienced nonprofit organization to provide three Minnesota 
1.11 	public schools with: a research-based intervention software program demonstrated to 
1.12 	effectively use singing to improve students' reading ability; technical training and staff to 
1.13 	install project software; on-site professional development and instructional monitoring 
1.14 	and support for school staff and students; preproject and postproject online reading 
1.15 	assessments developed by the University of Minnesota; and other project management 
1.16 	services. A participating school must identify a trained supervisor and other school staff 
1.17 	to work with students using the software in the computer lab and coordinate and review 
1.18 	students' weekly lab use.
1.19 	(b) The commissioner, in consultation with the nonprofit organization receiving the 
1.20 	grant, must select three public elementary schools, located in an urban, suburban, and 
1.21 	greater Minnesota school district, respectively, to participate in the project based on:
1.22 	(1) the number and percent of enrolled students in grades 3 to 5 whose proficiency 
1.23 	on the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment in reading is below grade level and who are 
1.24 	eligible for a free or reduced-price meal;
2.1 	(2) the interest of the school principal, teachers, and other school staff in 
2.2 	participating in the project; and
2.3 	(3) the availability of a computer lab for the project and its software.
2.4 	(c) The nonprofit organization receiving the grant must submit a 
2.5 	commissioner-reviewed report to the committees of the legislature with jurisdiction over 
2.6 	kindergarten through grade 12 education by February 1, 2017, using summary data to 
2.7 	compare and evaluate the reading gains of the third to fifth grade students in the three 
2.8 	schools that participated in the project and third to fifth grade students in schools that did 
2.9 	not participate and recommend whether to continue or expand the project.

2.10 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2016.

2.11 	Sec. 2. PILOT PROJECT APPROPRIATION.
 2.12 	$105,000 in fiscal year 2017 is appropriated from the general fund to the 
2.13 	commissioner of education for a grant to a qualified nonprofit organization to provide 
2.14 	three Minnesota public elementary schools with a research-based intervention software 
2.15 	program described under section 1 that effectively uses singing to improve students' 
2.16 	reading ability. $5,000 of this appropriation is for costs the commissioner incurs in 
2.17 	administering this pilot program.

2.18 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2016.