1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; modifying childhood literacy provisions;amending 
1.3 	Minnesota Statutes 2014, sections 120B.12, subdivision 4a; 124D.98; 125A.01; 
1.4 	126C.15, subdivision 1.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 120B.12, subdivision 4a, is amended to 
1.7 	read:
1.8 		Subd. 4a.Local literacy plan. (a) Consistent with this section, a school district 
1.9 	must adopt a local literacy plan to have every child reading at or above grade level no 
1.10 	later than the end of grade 3, including English learners. The plan must be consistent with 
1.11 	section 122A.06, subdivision 4, and include the following:
1.12 	(1) a process to assess students' level of reading proficiency~~,~~ and data to support the 
1.13 	effectiveness of an assessment used to screen and identify a student's level of reading 
1.14 	proficiency;
1.15 	(2) a process to notify and involve parents~~, intervene with~~;
1.16 	(3) a description of how schools in the district will determine the proper reading 
1.17 	intervention strategy for a student and the process for intensifying or modifying the 
1.18 	reading strategy in order to obtain measurable reading progress;
1.19 	(4) evidence-based intervention methods for students who are not reading at or 
1.20 	above grade level~~, and identify and meet~~ and progress-monitoring to provide information 
1.21 	on the effectiveness of the intervention;
1.22 	(5) identification of staff development needs, including a program to meet those 
1.23 	needs; and
2.1 	(6) a description of how schools in the district will provide explicit and systematic 
2.2 	instruction in basic phonology and language decoding skills. 
2.3 	(b) The district must post its literacy plan on the official school district Web site.

2.4 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for fiscal year 2016 and later.

2.5 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 124D.98, is amended to read:
2.6 	124D.98 LITERACY INCENTIVE AID.
2.7 		Subdivision 1.Literacy incentive aid. ~~In fiscal year 2013 and later,~~ A district's 
2.8 	literacy incentive aid equals the sum of the proficiency aid under subdivision 2, and the 
2.9 	growth aid under subdivision 3.
2.10 		Subd. 2.Proficiency aid. ~~In fiscal year 2013 and later,~~ The proficiency aid for 
2.11 	each school in a district that has submitted to the commissioner its local literacy plan 
2.12 	under section 120B.12, subdivision 4a, is equal to the product of the school's proficiency 
2.13 	allowance times the number of third grade pupils at the school on October 1 of the previous 
2.14 	fiscal year. A school's proficiency allowance is equal to the percentage of students in 
2.15 	each building that meet or exceed proficiency on the third grade reading Minnesota 
2.16 	Comprehensive Assessment, averaged across the previous three test administrations, 
2.17 	times $530.
2.18 		Subd. 3.Growth aid. ~~In fiscal year 2013 and later,~~ The growth aid for each school 
2.19 	in a district that has submitted to the commissioner its local literacy plan under section 
2.20 	120B.12, subdivision 4a, is equal to the product of the school's growth allowance times 
2.21 	the number of fourth grade pupils enrolled at the school on October 1 of the previous 
2.22 	fiscal year. A school's growth allowance is equal to the percentage of students at that 
2.23 	school making medium or high growth, under section 120B.299, on the fourth grade 
2.24 	reading Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment, averaged across the previous three test 
2.25 	administrations, times $530.

2.26 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for fiscal year 2016 and later.

2.27 	Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 125A.01, is amended to read:
2.28 	125A.01 DEFINITIONS.
2.29 		Subdivision 1.General application. For purposes of this chapter, the words defined 
2.30 	in section 120A.05 have the same meaning.
2.31 		Subd. 2.Dyslexia. "Dyslexia" means a specific learning disability that is 
2.32 	neurological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate or fluent recognition 
2.33 	of words and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result 
3.1 	from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in 
3.2 	relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. 
3.3 	Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced 
3.4 	reading experience that can impede the growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.

3.5 	Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 126C.15, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
3.6 		Subdivision 1.Use of revenue. The basic skills revenue under section 126C.10, 
3.7 	subdivision 4, must be reserved and used to meet the educational needs of pupils who 
3.8 	enroll under-prepared to learn and whose progress toward meeting state or local content 
3.9 	or performance standards is below the level that is appropriate for learners of their age. 
3.10 	Basic skills revenue may also be used for programs designed to prepare children and their 
3.11 	families for entry into school whether the student first enrolls in kindergarten or first grade. 
3.12 	Any of the following may be provided to meet these learners' needs:
3.13 	(1) direct instructional services under the assurance of mastery program according 
3.14 	to section 124D.66;
3.15 	(2) remedial instruction in reading, language arts, mathematics, other content areas, 
3.16 	or study skills to improve the achievement level of these learners;
3.17 	(3) additional teachers and teacher aides to provide more individualized instruction 
3.18 	to these learners through individual tutoring, lower instructor-to-learner ratios, or team 
3.19 	teaching;
3.20 	(4) a longer school day or week during the regular school year or through a summer 
3.21 	program that may be offered directly by the site or under a performance-based contract 
3.22 	with a community-based organization;
3.23 	(5) comprehensive and ongoing staff development consistent with district and site 
3.24 	plans according to section 122A.60 and to implement plans under section 120B.12, 
3.25 	subdivision 4a, for teachers, teacher aides, principals, and other personnel to improve 
3.26 	their ability to identify the needs of these learners and provide appropriate remediation, 
3.27 	intervention, accommodations, or modifications;
3.28 	(6) instructional materials, digital learning, and technology appropriate for meeting 
3.29 	the individual needs of these learners;
3.30 	(7) programs to reduce truancy, encourage completion of high school, enhance 
3.31 	self-concept, provide health services, provide nutrition services, provide a safe and secure 
3.32 	learning environment, provide coordination for pupils receiving services from other 
3.33 	governmental agencies, provide psychological services to determine the level of social, 
3.34 	emotional, cognitive, and intellectual development, and provide counseling services, 
3.35 	guidance services, and social work services;
4.1 	(8) bilingual programs, bicultural programs, and programs for English learners;
4.2 	(9) all-day kindergarten;
4.3 	(10) early education programs, parent-training programs, school readiness programs, 
4.4 	kindergarten programs for four-year-olds, voluntary home visits under section 124D.13, 
4.5 	subdivision 4, and other outreach efforts designed to prepare children for kindergarten;
4.6 	(11) extended school day and extended school year programs; and
4.7 	(12) substantial parent involvement in developing and implementing remedial 
4.8 	education or intervention plans for a learner, including learning contracts between the 
4.9 	school, the learner, and the parent that establish achievement goals and responsibilities of 
4.10 	the learner and the learner's parent or guardian.

4.11 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for fiscal year 2016 and later.