1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to education; establishing a grant program to 
  1.3             improve interracial contact and the educational 
  1.4             outcomes of underachieving, socioeconomically 
  1.5             disadvantaged students; appropriating money; proposing 
  1.6             coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 124C.
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  [124C.50] [EXTENDED SCHOOL YEAR AND EXTENDED 
  1.9   SCHOOL DAY GRANT PROGRAM.] 
  1.10     Subdivision 1.  [ESTABLISHMENT.] A grant program is 
  1.11  established to improve interracial contact and the educational 
  1.12  outcomes of socioeconomically disadvantaged students whose 
  1.13  educational achievement is at least one grade level below the 
  1.14  level appropriate for students of their age as measured by 
  1.15  standardized reading and mathematics tests.  School districts 
  1.16  receiving grants under this section shall develop extended 
  1.17  school year or extended day programs that improve interracial 
  1.18  contact and the academic achievement and long-term educational 
  1.19  and occupational outcomes for underachieving students.  School 
  1.20  districts receiving grants must create conditions for positive 
  1.21  programmatic outcomes through: 
  1.22     (1) community and parental involvement; 
  1.23     (2) staff development; 
  1.24     (3) ability grouping to the extent appropriate; 
  1.25     (4) type and scope of program; and 
  1.26     (5) multiethnic educational materials. 
  2.1      Subd. 2.  [ELIGIBILITY.] An applicant for a grant must be a 
  2.2   school district or a group of districts that cooperate for a 
  2.3   particular purpose.  To be eligible for a grant, a building site 
  2.4   within a district, a district, or group of districts must meet 
  2.5   all of the following criteria: 
  2.6      (1) at least 25 percent of the students enrolled in a 
  2.7   building site within a participating district are eligible to 
  2.8   receive free or reduced cost lunch; 
  2.9      (2) a statistically significant number of students enrolled 
  2.10  in a building site within a participating district are 
  2.11  performing at least one grade level below the level appropriate 
  2.12  for students of their age as measured by standardized reading 
  2.13  and mathematics tests; 
  2.14     (3) current district programs complement the purpose of 
  2.15  this section; and 
  2.16     (4) educational benefits under this section are targeted to 
  2.17  underachieving, socioeconomically disadvantaged students. 
  2.18     Subd. 3.  [APPLICATION PROCESS.] To obtain a grant to 
  2.19  improve interracial contact and the educational and social 
  2.20  outcomes of underachieving, socioeconomically disadvantaged 
  2.21  students, a district or group of districts must submit an 
  2.22  application to the commissioner of children, families, and 
  2.23  learning in the form and manner the commissioner prescribes.  
  2.24  The application must describe how the applicant's building site 
  2.25  meets the eligibility criteria under subdivision 2, the 
  2.26  applicant's proposal for structuring an extended day or extended 
  2.27  year program, and what conditions the applicant will create for 
  2.28  positive programmatic outcomes.  The commissioner may require 
  2.29  additional information from an applicant. 
  2.30     Subd. 4.  [GRANT AWARDS.] The commissioner annually may 
  2.31  award 20 grants of up to $150,000 per grant.  Five grants shall 
  2.32  be available to school sites in independent school district No. 
  2.33  625, St. Paul, five grants shall be available to school sites in 
  2.34  special school district No. 1, Minneapolis, and ten grants shall 
  2.35  be available to school sites in suburban and rural districts 
  2.36  meeting the eligibility criteria under subdivision 2. 
  3.1      Subd. 5.  [GRANT PROCEEDS.] School districts receiving 
  3.2   grants shall use the proceeds over a three-year period to 
  3.3   develop or expand extended day or extended year programs at 
  3.4   school sites that accomplish the purposes of this section.  The 
  3.5   commissioner must approve expenditures for transportation. 
  3.6      Subd. 6.  [EVALUATION.] Each grant recipient, in 
  3.7   consultation with the commissioner, shall provide for an 
  3.8   evaluation of its program.  Beginning in 1999, the commissioner 
  3.9   shall report to the legislature by January 1 each year on 
  3.10  whether or not extended day or extended year programs are 
  3.11  effective in improving interracial contact and the educational 
  3.12  and social outcomes of underachieving, socioeconomically 
  3.13  disadvantaged students. 
  3.14     Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  3.15     $3,000,000 is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  3.16  department of children, families, and learning in fiscal year 
  3.17  1997 for the purposes of section 1.