2000 Minnesota Statutes

     120B.02 Results-oriented graduation rule; basic skills 
  requirements; profile of learning. 

    (a) The legislature is committed to establishing a 
 rigorous, results-oriented graduation rule for Minnesota's 
 public school students.  To that end, the commissioner shall use 
 its rulemaking authority under section 127A.05, subdivision 4, 
 to adopt a statewide, results-oriented graduation rule to be 
 implemented starting with students beginning ninth grade in the 
 1996-1997 school year.  The commissioner shall not prescribe in 
 rule or otherwise the delivery system or form of instruction 
 that school sites must use to meet the requirements contained in 
 this rule.  For purposes of this chapter, a school site is a 
 separate facility, or a separate program within a facility that 
 a local school board recognizes as a school site.  

    (b) To successfully accomplish paragraph (a), the 
 commissioner shall set in rule high academic standards for all 
 students.  The standards must contain the foundational skills in 
 the three core curricular areas of reading, writing, and 
 mathematics while meeting requirements for high school 
 graduation.  The standards must also provide an opportunity for 
 students to excel by meeting higher academic standards through a 
 profile of learning that uses curricular requirements to allow 
 students to expand their knowledge and skills beyond the 
 foundational skills.  All commissioner actions regarding the 
 rule must be premised on the following:  

    (1) the rule is intended to raise academic expectations for 
 students, teachers, and schools; 

    (2) any state action regarding the rule must evidence 
 consideration of school district autonomy; and 

    (3) the department of children, families, and learning, 
 with the assistance of school districts, must make available 
 information about all state initiatives related to the rule to 
 students and parents, teachers, and the general public in a 
 timely format that is appropriate, comprehensive, and readily 
 understandable. 

    (c) For purposes of adopting the rule, the commissioner, in 
 consultation with the department, recognized psychometric 
 experts in assessment, and other interested and knowledgeable 
 educators, using the most current version of professional 
 standards for educational testing, shall evaluate the 
 alternative approaches to assessment.  

    (d) The content of the graduation rule must differentiate 
 between minimum competencies reflected in the basic requirements 
 assessment and rigorous profile of learning standards.  When 
 fully implemented, the requirements for high school graduation 
 in Minnesota must include both basic requirements and the 
 required profile of learning.  The profile of learning must 
 measure student performance using performance-based assessments 
 compiled over time that integrate higher academic standards, 
 higher order thinking skills, and application of knowledge from 
 a variety of content areas.  The profile of learning shall 
 include a broad range of academic experience and accomplishment 
 necessary to achieve the goal of preparing students to function 
 effectively as purposeful thinkers, effective communicators, 
 self-directed learners, productive group participants, and 
 responsible citizens.  

    (e) The profile of learning contains the following learning 
 areas: 

    (1) read, listen, and view; 

    (2) write and speak; 

    (3) arts and literature; 

    (4) mathematical concepts and applications; 

    (5) inquiry and research; 

    (6) scientific concepts and applications; 

    (7) social studies; 

    (8) physical education and lifetime fitness; 

    (9) economics and business; 

    (10) world languages; and 

    (11) technical and vocational education. 

    (f) The commissioner shall periodically review and report 
 on the assessment process and student achievement with the 
 expectation of raising the standards and expanding high school 
 graduation requirements. 

    (g) Beginning August 31, 2000, the commissioner must 
 publish, including in electronic format for the Internet, a 
 report, by school site, area learning center, and charter 
 school, of: 

    (1) the required preparatory content standards; 

    (2) the high school content standards required for 
 graduation; and 

    (3) the number of student waivers the district, area 
 learning center, or charter school approves under section 
 120B.031, subdivisions 4, 5, and 6, based on information each 
 district, area learning center, and charter school provides. 

    (h) School districts must integrate required and elective 
 content standards in the scope and sequence of the district 
 curriculum. 

    (i) School districts are not required to adopt specific 
 provisions of the Goals 2000 and the federal School-to-Work 
 programs. 

    HIST: Ex1959 c 71 art 2 s 11; 1965 c 718 s 1; 1969 c 9 s 
 23,24; 1969 c 288 s 1; 1973 c 492 s 14; 1975 c 162 s 6,7; 1976 c 
 271 s 21; 1977 c 347 s 19; 1977 c 447 art 7 s 4; 1982 c 424 s 
 130; 1982 c 548 art 4 s 4,23; 1983 c 258 s 22; 1984 c 640 s 32; 
 1985 c 248 s 70; 1987 c 178 s 5; 1987 c 398 art 7 s 5; 1989 c 
 329 art 7 s 2; art 8 s 1; art 9 s 4; 1990 c 375 s 3; 1991 c 265 
 art 9 s 13; 1993 c 224 art 12 s 2-6; art 14 s 4; 1994 c 647 art 
 7 s 1; art 8 s 1; 1Sp1995 c 3 art 7 s 1; art 16 s 13; 1996 c 412 
 art 7 s 1; 1997 c 1 s 1; 1997 c 162 art 2 s 11; 1998 c 397 art 4 
 s 1,51; art 11 s 3; 1998 c 398 art 5 s 6,7,55; 2000 c 500 s 2