1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; further recognizing students' proficiency in languages 
1.3 	in addition to English;amending Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 120B.022; 
1.4 	Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, sections 120B.11, subdivision 3; 
1.5 	120B.115; 124D.861, subdivision 3.
1.6 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.7 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 120B.022, is amended to read:
1.8 	120B.022 ELECTIVE STANDARDS.
1.9 		Subdivision 1.Elective standards. ~~(a)~~ A district must establish its own standards in 
1.10 	the following subject areas:
1.11 	(1) career and technical education; and
1.12 	(2) world languages.
1.13 	A school district must offer courses in all elective subject areas.
1.14 		Subd. 1a.Foreign language and culture; proficiency certificates. ~~(b)~~ (a) World 
1.15 	languages teachers and other school staff should develop and implement world languages 
1.16 	programs that acknowledge and reinforce the language proficiency and cultural awareness 
1.17 	that non-English language speakers already possess, and encourage students' proficiency 
1.18 	in multiple world languages. Programs under this ~~paragraph~~ section must encompass 
1.19 	indigenous American Indian languages and cultures, among other world languages and 
1.20 	cultures. The department shall consult with postsecondary institutions in developing 
1.21 	related professional development opportunities for purposes of this section.
1.22 	~~(c)~~ (b) Any Minnesota public, charter, or nonpublic school may award Minnesota 
1.23 	World Language Proficiency Certificates or Minnesota World Language Proficiency High 
1.24 	Achievement Certificates, consistent with this subdivision.
2.1 	(c) The Minnesota World Language Proficiency Certificate recognizes students who 
2.2 	demonstrate listening, speaking, reading, and writing language skills at the American 
2.3 	Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages' Intermediate-Low level on a valid and 
2.4 	reliable assessment tool. For languages listed as Category 3 by the United States Foreign 
2.5 	Service Institute or Category 4 by the United States Defense Language Institute, the 
2.6 	standard is Intermediate-Low for listening and speaking and Novice-High for reading 
2.7 	and writing.
2.8 	(d) The Minnesota World Language Proficiency High Achievement Certificate 
2.9 	recognizes students who demonstrate listening, speaking, reading, and writing language 
2.10 	skills at the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages' Pre-Advanced level 
2.11 	for K-12 learners on a valid and reliable assessment tool. For languages listed as Category 
2.12 	3 by the United States Foreign Service Institute or Category 4 by the United States 
2.13 	Defense Language Institute, the standard is Pre-Advanced for listening and speaking and 
2.14 	Intermediate-Mid for reading and writing.
2.15 		Subd. 1b.State bilingual and multilingual seals. (a) Consistent with efforts to 
2.16 	strive for the world's best workforce under sections 120B.11 and 124D.10, subdivision 8, 
2.17 	paragraph (u), and close the academic achievement and opportunity gap under sections 
2.18 	124D.861 and 124D.862, voluntary state bilingual and multilingual seals are established 
2.19 	to recognize high school graduates who demonstrate level 5 functional native proficiency 
2.20 	in speaking and reading on the Foreign Services Institute language proficiency tests or on 
2.21 	equivalent valid and reliable assessments in one or more languages in addition to English. 
2.22 	American Sign Language is a language other than English for purposes of this subdivision 
2.23 	and a world language for purposes of subdivision 1a.
2.24 	(b) In addition to paragraph (a), to be eligible to receive a seal:
2.25 	(1) students must satisfactorily complete all required English language arts credits; 
2.26 	and
2.27 	(2) students whose primary language is other than English must demonstrate mastery 
2.28 	of Minnesota's English language proficiency standards.
2.29 	(c) Consistent with this subdivision, a high school graduate who demonstrates 
2.30 	functional native proficiency in one language in addition to English is eligible to receive 
2.31 	the state bilingual seal. A high school graduate who demonstrates functional native 
2.32 	proficiency in more than one language in addition to English is eligible to receive the 
2.33 	state multilingual seal.
2.34 	(d) School districts and charter schools, in consultation with regional centers 
2.35 	of excellence under section 120B.115, must give students periodic opportunities to 
2.36 	demonstrate their level of proficiency in speaking and reading in a language in addition 
3.1 	to English. Where valid and reliable assessments are unavailable, a school district or 
3.2 	charter school may rely on a licensed foreign language immersion teacher or a nonlicensed  
3.3 	community expert under section 122A.25 to assess a student's level of foreign, heritage, or 
3.4 	indigenous language proficiency under this section. School districts and charter schools 
3.5 	must maintain appropriate records to identify high school graduates eligible to receive the 
3.6 	state bilingual or multilingual seal. The school district or charter school must affix the 
3.7 	appropriate seal to the transcript of each high school graduate who meets the requirements 
3.8 	of this subdivision and may affix the seal to the student's diploma. A school district or 
3.9 	charter school must not charge the high school graduate a fee for this seal.
3.10 	(e) A school district or charter school may award elective course credits in world 
3.11 	languages to a student who demonstrates the requisite proficiency in a language other 
3.12 	than English under this section.
3.13 	(f) A school district or charter school may award community service credit to a 
3.14 	student who demonstrates level 5 functional native proficiency in speaking and reading 
3.15 	in a language other than English and who participates in community service activities 
3.16 	that are integrated into the curriculum, involve the participation of teachers, and support 
3.17 	biliteracy in the school or local community.
3.18 	(g) The commissioner must develop a Web page for the electronic delivery of 
3.19 	these seals. The commissioner must list on the Web page those assessments that are 
3.20 	equivalent to the Foreign Services Institute language proficiency tests and make all 
3.21 	language proficiency tests and equivalent assessments available to school districts and 
3.22 	charter schools without cost.
3.23 	(h) The colleges and universities of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities 
3.24 	system must award at least four semester credits of foreign language to a student who 
3.25 	receives a state bilingual seal or a state multilingual seal under this subdivision and also 
3.26 	may award one or more semester credits of foreign language to a student who receives 
3.27 	a Minnesota world language proficiency certificate or a Minnesota world language high 
3.28 	achievement certificate under subdivision 1a.
3.29 		Subd. 2.Local assessments. A district must use a locally selected assessment to 
3.30 	determine if a student has achieved an elective standard.

3.31 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for the 2014-2015 school year and 
3.32 	later.

3.33 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 120B.11, subdivision 3, is 
3.34 	amended to read:
4.1 		Subd. 3.District advisory committee. Each school board shall establish an 
4.2 	advisory committee to ensure active community participation in all phases of planning and 
4.3 	improving the instruction and curriculum affecting state and district academic standards, 
4.4 	consistent with subdivision 2. A district advisory committee, to the extent possible, shall 
4.5 	reflect the diversity of the district and its school sites, and shall include teachers, parents, 
4.6 	support staff, students, and other community residents. The district may establish site 
4.7 	teams as subcommittees of the district advisory committee under subdivision 4. The 
4.8 	district advisory committee shall recommend to the school board rigorous academic 
4.9 	standards, student achievement goals and measures consistent with subdivision 1a and 
4.10 	sections 120B.022, ~~subdivision 1, paragraphs (b) and (c)~~ subdivisions 1a and 1b, and 
4.11 	120B.35, district assessments, and program evaluations. School sites may expand upon 
4.12 	district evaluations of instruction, curriculum, assessments, or programs. Whenever 
4.13 	possible, parents and other community residents shall comprise at least two-thirds of 
4.14 	advisory committee members.

4.15 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for the 2014-2015 school year and 
4.16 	later.

4.17 	Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 120B.115, is amended to read:
4.18 	120B.115 REGIONAL CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE.
4.19 	(a) Regional centers of excellence are established to assist and support school 
4.20 	boards, school districts, school sites, and charter schools in implementing research-based 
4.21 	interventions and practices to increase the students' achievement within a region. 
4.22 	The centers must develop partnerships with local and regional service cooperatives, 
4.23 	postsecondary institutions, integrated school districts, the department, children's mental 
4.24 	health providers, or other local or regional entities interested in providing a cohesive 
4.25 	and consistent regional delivery system that serves all schools equitably. Centers must 
4.26 	assist school districts, school sites, and charter schools in developing similar partnerships. 
4.27 	Center support may include assisting school districts, school sites, and charter schools 
4.28 	with common principles of effective practice, including:
4.29 	(1) defining measurable education goals under ~~section~~ sections120B.11, subdivision 
4.30 	2, and 120B.022, subdivisions 1a and 1b;
4.31 	(2) implementing evidence-based practices;
4.32 	(3) engaging in data-driven decision-making;
4.33 	(4) providing multilayered levels of support;
5.1 	(5) supporting culturally responsive teaching and learning aligning state and local 
5.2 	academic standards and career and college readiness benchmarks; and
5.3 	(6) engaging parents, families, youth, and local community members in programs 
5.4 	and activities at the school district, school site, or charter school.
5.5 	Centers must work with school site leadership teams to build capacity to implement 
5.6 	programs that close the achievement gap, increase students' progress and growth toward 
5.7 	career and college readiness, and increase student graduation rates.
5.8 	(b) The department must assist the regional centers of excellence to meet staff, 
5.9 	facilities, and technical needs, provide the centers with programmatic support, and work 
5.10 	with the centers to establish a coherent statewide system of regional support, including 
5.11 	consulting, training, and technical support, to help school boards, school districts, school 
5.12 	sites, and charter schools effectively and efficiently implement the world's best workforce 
5.13 	goals under section 120B.11 and other state and federal education initiatives.

5.14 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for the 2014-2015 school year and 
5.15 	later.

5.16 	Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 124D.861, subdivision 3, is 
5.17 	amended to read:
5.18 		Subd. 3.Public engagement; progress report and budget process. (a) To 
5.19 	receive revenue under section 124D.862, the school board of an eligible district must 
5.20 	incorporate school and district plan components under section 120B.11 into the district's 
5.21 	comprehensive integration plan.
5.22 	(b) A school board must hold at least one formal annual hearing to publicly report its 
5.23 	progress in realizing the goals identified in its plan. At the hearing, the board must provide 
5.24 	the public with longitudinal data demonstrating district and school progress in reducing 
5.25 	the disparities in student academic performance among the specified categories of students 
5.26 	and in realizing racial and economic integration, consistent with the district plan and the 
5.27 	measures in paragraph (a). At least 30 days before the formal hearing under this paragraph, 
5.28 	the board must post its plan, its preliminary analysis, relevant student performance data, 
5.29 	and other longitudinal data on the district's Web site. A district must hold one hearing to 
5.30 	meet the hearing requirements of both this section and section 120B.11.
5.31 	(c) The district must submit a detailed budget to the commissioner by March 15 in 
5.32 	the year before it implements its plan. The commissioner must review, and approve or 
5.33 	disapprove the district's budget by June 1 of that year.
6.1 	(d) The longitudinal data required under paragraph (a) must be based on student 
6.2 	growth and progress in reading and mathematics, as defined under section 120B.30, 
6.3 	subdivision 1, and student performance data and achievement reports from fully adaptive 
6.4 	reading and mathematics assessments for grades 3 through 7 beginning in the 2015-2016 
6.5 	school year under section 120B.30, subdivision 1a, and either (i) school enrollment 
6.6 	choices, (ii) the number of world language proficiency or high achievement certificates 
6.7 	awarded under section 120B.022, subdivision ~~1, paragraphs (b) and (c)~~ 1a, or the number 
6.8 	of state bilingual and multilingual seals issued under section 120B.022, subdivision 1b, 
6.9 	or (iii) school safety and students' engagement and connection at school under section 
6.10 	120B.35, subdivision 3, paragraph (d). Additional longitudinal data may be based on: 
6.11 	students' progress toward career and college readiness under section 120B.30, subdivision 
6.12 	1; or rigorous coursework completed under section 120B.35, subdivision 3, paragraph 
6.13 	(c), clause (2).

6.14 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for the 2014-2015 school year and 
6.15 	later.