1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education finance; creating a unified technology funding stream; 
1.3 	developing a school district technology plan; establishing a task force; 
1.4 	authorizing technology grants; appropriating money.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. TECHNOLOGY GRANTS; TASK FORCE ESTABLISHED.
 1.7 		Subdivision 1.Task force established. A school technology task force is 
1.8 	established.
1.9 		Subd. 2.Task force goals. The goals of the school technology task force include:
1.10 	(1) developing minimum standards for technology infrastructure and capacity;
1.11 	(2) creating standards for value-added testing;
1.12 	(3) creating standards for electronic student records; and
1.13 	(4) developing school interoperability frameworks.
1.14 		Subd. 3.Task force members. The commissioner of education shall appoint the 
1.15 	members of the task force from each of the following:
1.16 	(1) one member from the Department of Education;
1.17 	(2) one member from the Office of Enterprise Technology;
1.18 	(3) one member from a list of school technology experts submitted to the 
1.19 	commissioner by Education Minnesota;
1.20 	(4) one member from a list of school technology experts submitted to the 
1.21 	commissioner by the Minnesota School Boards Association;
1.22 	(5) one member from a list of school technology experts submitted to the 
1.23 	commissioner by the Association of Metropolitan School Districts;
2.1 	(6) one member from a list of school technology experts submitted to the 
2.2 	commissioner by the Minnesota Rural Education Association;
2.3 	(7) one member from a list of school technology experts submitted to the 
2.4 	commissioner by the Schools for Equity in Education;
2.5 	(8) one member from a list of school technology experts submitted to the 
2.6 	commissioner by the Service Cooperatives; and
2.7 	(9) one member from a list of school technology experts submitted to the 
2.8 	commissioner by the president of the University of Minnesota.
2.9 	The commissioner of education shall provide necessary materials and assistance to 
2.10 	the task force.
2.11 		Subd. 4.Task force recommendations. The task force must submit a report to the 
2.12 	education committees of the legislature by January 15, 2007, describing the minimum 
2.13 	technology standards that it has established. The commissioner of education must use 
2.14 	these recommendations and standards when awarding grants under section 2.

2.15 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.

2.16 	Sec. 2. SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY GRANTS.
 2.17 		Subdivision 1.Program outcomes. The general framework outcomes for 
2.18 	technology use in kindergarten through grade 12 education are:
2.19 	(1) development of policies and procedures that ensure instructional resource 
2.20 	availability to help students successfully achieve education excellence and state standards;
2.21 	(2) development of databases that are accessible within each district and on the 
2.22 	Internet; 
2.23 	(3) development of policies, procedures, and systems that stimulate and promote 
2.24 	teacher and student curriculum and learning collaboration; and
2.25 	(4) development of uniform technology standards.
2.26 		Subd. 2.Establishment; eligibility. To promote the outcomes of subdivision 1, a 
2.27 	program is established to support districts and charter schools in reaching these outcomes. 
2.28 	Districts and charter schools eligible to participate under this section must have an 
2.29 	approved district technology plan submitted to the commissioner. The commissioner shall 
2.30 	develop a competitive grant process for the purpose of determining recipients. Districts 
2.31 	and charter schools must propose to use the grant funds that support the outcomes 
2.32 	described in subdivision 1 in a manner that fulfills the following components in rank 
2.33 	order by:
2.34 	(1) obtaining minimum statewide standards of technology infrastructure and 
2.35 	capacity;
3.1 	(2) incorporating student technology content standards within the district curriculum 
3.2 	and the professional development necessary for effective instruction of those standards;
3.3 	(3) developing data-driven decision-making models in the classroom, school, and 
3.4 	district; and
3.5 	(4) developing innovation in student learning and teacher professional development.
3.6 		Subd. 3.Application and review process; funding priority. Districts and charter 
3.7 	schools eligible under subdivision 2 may apply to the commissioner, in the form and 
3.8 	manner the commissioner determines, for competitive funding to achieve the four grant 
3.9 	goals. The application must identify, through a commonly-used technology audit process 
3.10 	that determines the district or charter school's current technology capabilities, the disparity 
3.11 	between the district or charter school's current technology infrastructure and capacity 
3.12 	and the minimum statewide standards that are established by the commissioner. The 
3.13 	application must detail the specific efforts the applicant intends to undertake to achieve 
3.14 	the components, consistent with subdivision 2, and a proposed budget detailing the 
3.15 	district or charter school's current and proposed expenditures. The proposed budget must 
3.16 	demonstrate that the applicant's efforts will support the four components of subdivision 2 
3.17 	in rank order. Expenditures for administration must not exceed five percent of the proposed 
3.18 	budget. The commissioner may require an applicant to provide additional information. 
3.19 	When reviewing applications, the commissioner must determine whether the applicant 
3.20 	satisfied all the requirements in this subdivision and subdivision 2. The commissioner 
3.21 	may give funding priority to an otherwise qualified applicant that demonstrates:
3.22 	(1) previous attempts through district referenda or other funding mechanisms to 
3.23 	increase its technology infrastructure and capacity;
3.24 	(2) previous efforts to participate in online field testing of statewide assessments; or
3.25 	(3) an effective ability to actively involve local business and community 
3.26 	organizations in efforts to stimulate and promote teacher and student curriculum and 
3.27 	learning collaboration.
3.28 		Subd. 4.Application review; grant awards. The commissioner shall award grants 
3.29 	to applicant school districts and charter schools that meet the requirements of subdivisions 
3.30 	1 and 2. The commissioner may award grants as funding allows and, to the extent feasible, 
3.31 	must distribute the grant awards on an equitable geographical basis. The commissioner 
3.32 	must base the amount of the grant award on the number of students in the participating 
3.33 	district or charter school. District expenditures of the grant proceeds must be consistent 
3.34 	with budget information the grantee periodically submits to the commissioner. School 
3.35 	districts and charter schools that submit an application and receive funding under this 
3.36 	section must use the funding, consistent with the components in subdivision 2, as stated 
4.1 	in the application. The commissioner may spend up to one percent of the appropriation 
4.2 	for administering the program.
4.3 		Subd. 5.Annual reports. Each school district and charter school that receives a 
4.4 	grant under this section must demonstrate and measure the extent to which the district or 
4.5 	charter school achieved the outcomes set forth in the grant application and consistent with 
4.6 	subdivision 1. This report is due at the end of the grant period and must be submitted to the 
4.7 	commissioner in the form and manner the commissioner determines. The commissioner 
4.8 	must make summary data about this program available to the education policy and finance 
4.9 	committees of the legislature by February 15, 2010. Each school district and charter 
4.10 	school that receives a grant under this section annually must report to the commissioner, 
4.11 	consistent with the uniform financial accounting and reporting standards, its actual 
4.12 	expenditures for school technology funding. The report must demonstrate that the school 
4.13 	district or charter school has maintained its effort from other sources for technology and 
4.14 	capacity compared with the previous fiscal year, and the district or charter school has 
4.15 	expended all grant funds, consistent with its approved budget.

4.16 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for fiscal years 2008 and 2009.

4.17 	Sec. 3. ONLINE LEARNING EXPANSION GRANTS.
 4.18 		Subdivision 1.Outcomes. The general framework outcomes for expanding online 
4.19 	learning in education are:
4.20 	(1) provide grant funding to encourage expansion and access to online learning 
4.21 	courses and opportunities for Minnesota students;
4.22 	(2) expand academic opportunities, increase graduation rates, increase college 
4.23 	eligibility and preparedness, and provide online resources for remediation;
4.24 	(3) increase the number of students successfully completing online courses; and
4.25 	(4) develop innovative online courses or programming.
4.26 		Subd. 2.Establishment; eligibility. To promote the outcomes of subdivision 
4.27 	1, a program is established to expand online learning courses and programs to school 
4.28 	districts, charter schools, consortiums of school districts, intermediate school districts, 
4.29 	service cooperatives, or higher education institutions. The commissioner shall develop 
4.30 	a competitive grant process for the purpose of determining recipients. Districts, charter 
4.31 	schools, consortiums of school districts, intermediate school districts, service cooperatives, 
4.32 	or higher education institutions must propose to use the grant funds that support the 
4.33 	outcomes of subdivision 1 in a manner that develops or expands online courses or 
4.34 	programs in one or more of the following areas:
4.35 	(1) dual high school or postsecondary education credit;
5.1 	(2) science, technology, engineering, and math fields;
5.2 	(3) preadvanced placement, advanced placement, or international baccalaureate; and
5.3 	(4) remediation efforts.
5.4 		Subd. 3.Application and review process; funding priority. Districts, charter 
5.5 	schools, consortiums of school districts, service cooperatives, intermediate school 
5.6 	districts, or higher education institutions that are eligible under subdivision 2 may 
5.7 	apply to the commissioner, in the form and manner the commissioner determines, for 
5.8 	competitive funding to achieve the grant goals. The application must detail the specific 
5.9 	efforts the applicant intends to undertake to achieve the components, consistent with 
5.10 	subdivisions 1 and 2, and propose the budget detailing the district's, charter school's, 
5.11 	consortiums of school districts', intermediate districts', service cooperative's, or higher 
5.12 	education institution's current and proposed expenditures. The proposed budget must 
5.13 	demonstrate that the applicant's efforts will support the components of subdivisions 1 and 
5.14 	2. Expenditures for administration must not exceed five percent of the proposed budget. 
5.15 	The commissioner may require an applicant to provide additional information. When 
5.16 	reviewing applications, the commissioner must determine whether the applicant satisfied 
5.17 	all the requirements in this subdivision and subdivisions 1 and 2.
5.18 		Subd. 4.Application review; grant awards. The commissioner shall award grants 
5.19 	to eligible applicants that meet the requirements of subdivisions 1 and 2.
5.20 	The commissioner shall award grants as funding allows and, to the extent feasible, 
5.21 	must distribute the grant awards on an equitable geographical basis. The commissioner 
5.22 	must base the amount of the grant award on the number of students in the participating 
5.23 	district charter school, consortium of school districts, intermediate school, or higher 
5.24 	education institutions. Expenditures of the grant proceeds must be consistent with budget 
5.25 	information the grantee periodically submits to the commissioner. School districts and 
5.26 	charter schools that submit an application and receive funding under this section must 
5.27 	use the funding, consistent with the components in subdivisions 1 and 2 as stated in the 
5.28 	application. The commissioner may spend up to one percent of the appropriation for 
5.29 	administering the program.
5.30 		Subd. 5.Annual reports. Each applicant that receives a grant under this section 
5.31 	must demonstrate and measure the extent to which the applicant achieved the outcomes set 
5.32 	forth in the grant application and consistent with subdivisions 1 and 2. This report is due 
5.33 	at the end of the grant period and must be submitted to the commissioner in the form and 
5.34 	manner the commissioner determines. The commissioner must make summary data about 
5.35 	this program available to the education policy and finance committees of the legislature by 
5.36 	February 15, 2010. Each applicant that receives a grant under this section must annually 
6.1 	report to the commissioner, consistent with the uniform financial accounting and reporting 
6.2 	standards, its actual expenditures for online learning courses.

6.3 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for revenue for fiscal years 2008 
6.4 	and 2009.

6.5 	Sec. 4. APPROPRIATIONS.
 6.6 		Subdivision 1.Department of Education. The sums indicated in this section are 
6.7 	appropriated from the general fund to the Department of Education for the fiscal years 
6.8 	designated.
6.9 		Subd. 2.School technology grants. For school technology grants under section 2:

6.10 | | $ | 60,000,000 | ..... | 2009
6.11 	This is a onetime appropriation.
6.12 		Subd. 3.Online learning grants. For online learning grants under section 3:

6.13 | | $ | 2,500,000 | ..... | 2008
6.14 | | $ | 2,500,000 | ..... | 2009
6.15 	This is a onetime appropriation.
6.16 		Subd. 4.Per pupil technology. (a) For per pupil technology funding:

6.17 | | $ | 40,000,000 | ..... | 2008
6.18 	(b) The commissioner must calculate a per pupil technology allowance by dividing 
6.19 	the appropriation in paragraph (a) by the total number of adjusted marginal cost pupil units 
6.20 	for fiscal year 2008 and award each district an amount equal to that allowance times each 
6.21 	district's adjusted marginal cost pupil units for that year.
6.22 		Subd. 5.Task force expenses. For expenses of the task force established in section 
6.23 	1:

6.24 | | $ | ....... | ..... | 2008