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120B.023 BENCHMARKS.
    Subdivision 1. Benchmarks implement, supplement statewide academic standards.
(a) The commissioner must supplement required state academic standards with grade-level
benchmarks. High school benchmarks may cover more than one grade. The benchmarks must
implement statewide academic standards by specifying the academic knowledge and skills that
schools must offer and students must achieve to satisfactorily complete a state standard. The
commissioner must publish benchmarks to inform and guide parents, teachers, school districts,
and other interested persons and to use in developing tests consistent with the benchmarks.
(b) The commissioner shall publish benchmarks in the State Register and transmit the
benchmarks in any other manner that makes them accessible to the general public. The
commissioner may charge a reasonable fee for publications.
(c) Once established, the commissioner may change the benchmarks only with specific
legislative authorization and after completing a review under subdivision 2.
(d) The commissioner must develop and implement a system for reviewing each of the
required academic standards and related benchmarks and elective standards on a periodic cycle,
consistent with subdivision 2.
(e) The benchmarks are not subject to chapter 14 and section 14.386 does not apply.
    Subd. 2. Revisions and reviews required. (a) The commissioner of education must
revise and appropriately embed technology and information literacy standards consistent with
recommendations from school media specialists into the state's academic standards and graduation
requirements and implement a review cycle for state academic standards and related benchmarks,
consistent with this subdivision. During each review cycle, the commissioner also must examine
the alignment of each required academic standard and related benchmark with the knowledge and
skills students need for college readiness and advanced work in the particular subject area.
(b) The commissioner in the 2006-2007 school year must revise and align the state's
academic standards and high school graduation requirements in mathematics to require that
students satisfactorily complete the revised mathematics standards, beginning in the 2010-2011
school year. Under the revised standards:
(1) students must satisfactorily complete an algebra I credit by the end of eighth grade; and
(2) students scheduled to graduate in the 2014-2015 school year or later must satisfactorily
complete an algebra II credit or its equivalent.
The commissioner also must ensure that the statewide mathematics assessments administered to
students in grades 3 through 8 and 11 beginning in the 2010-2011 school year are aligned with the
state academic standards in mathematics. The statewide 11th grade mathematics test administered
to students under clause (2) beginning in the 2013-2014 school year must include algebra II
test items that are aligned with corresponding state academic standards in mathematics. The
commissioner must implement a review of the academic standards and related benchmarks in
mathematics beginning in the 2015-2016 school year.
(c) The commissioner in the 2007-2008 school year must revise and align the state's
academic standards and high school graduation requirements in the arts to require that students
satisfactorily complete the revised arts standards beginning in the 2010-2011 school year. The
commissioner must implement a review of the academic standards and related benchmarks in
arts beginning in the 2016-2017 school year.
(d) The commissioner in the 2008-2009 school year must revise and align the state's academic
standards and high school graduation requirements in science to require that students satisfactorily
complete the revised science standards, beginning in the 2011-2012 school year. Under the revised
standards, students scheduled to graduate in the 2014-2015 school year or later must satisfactorily
complete a chemistry or physics credit. The commissioner must implement a review of the
academic standards and related benchmarks in science beginning in the 2017-2018 school year.
(e) The commissioner in the 2009-2010 school year must revise and align the state's
academic standards and high school graduation requirements in language arts to require that
students satisfactorily complete the revised language arts standards beginning in the 2012-2013
school year. The commissioner must implement a review of the academic standards and related
benchmarks in language arts beginning in the 2018-2019 school year.
(f) The commissioner in the 2010-2011 school year must revise and align the state's
academic standards and high school graduation requirements in social studies to require that
students satisfactorily complete the revised social studies standards beginning in the 2013-2014
school year. The commissioner must implement a review of the academic standards and related
benchmarks in social studies beginning in the 2019-2020 school year.
(g) School districts and charter schools must revise and align local academic standards and
high school graduation requirements in health, physical education, world languages, and career
and technical education to require students to complete the revised standards beginning in a
school year determined by the school district or charter school. School districts and charter
schools must formally establish a periodic review cycle for the academic standards and related
benchmarks in health, physical education, world languages, and career and technical education.
History: 2003 c 129 art 1 s 5; 2006 c 263 art 2 s 3

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Revisor of Statutes