1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; establishing a period for 
  1.3             holding students harmless from the profile of 
  1.4             learning; contracting for an independent review of the 
  1.5             state's standards and assessments; repealing Minnesota 
  1.6             Rules, part 3501.0370, subpart 4. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  [STUDENTS HELD HARMLESS.] 
  1.9      Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, school districts 
  1.10  must not deny a high school diploma to a student who entered the 
  1.11  ninth grade during the 1998-1999 or 1999-2000 school year and 
  1.12  who fails to complete profile of learning requirements needed to 
  1.13  graduate from high school under Minnesota Statutes, sections 
  1.14  120B.02 and 120B.03.  Profile of learning requirements needed to 
  1.15  graduate from high school shall apply to students entering the 
  1.16  ninth grade during the 2000-2001 school year and later.  School 
  1.17  districts must complete preparations for fully implementing the 
  1.18  profile of learning for students entering the ninth grade during 
  1.19  the 2000-2001 school year and later.  
  1.20     Sec. 2.  [CONTRACT FOR INDEPENDENT REVIEW.] 
  1.21     Consistent with the state's effort to raise academic 
  1.22  standards and hold schools accountable for performance, the 
  1.23  commissioner of children, families, and learning shall contract 
  1.24  with an independent organization to provide an external review 
  1.25  of the state's education standards and assessments related to 
  1.26  the profile of learning. 
  2.1      Sec. 3.  [REPEALER.] 
  2.2      Minnesota Rules, part 3501.0370, subpart 4, is repealed. 
  2.3      Sec. 4.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  2.4      Sections 1 and 2 are effective the day following final 
  2.5   enactment.  Section 3 is effective for the 2000-2001 school year 
  2.6   and later.