2006 Minnesota Statutes

125B.07 DEPARTMENT DUTIES.
    Subdivision 1. Data acquisition calendar. The Department of Education shall maintain a
current annual data acquisition calendar specifying the reports which districts are required to
provide to the department and the dates these reports are due.
    Subd. 2. Exemption from chapter 14. The annual data acquisition calendar and the essential
data elements are exempt from the Administrative Procedure Act.
    Subd. 3. Data system. The department shall develop and operate a computerized data
system. The system shall include: (1) information required by federal or state law or rule; and (2)
information needed by the divisions of the department in order to disburse funds, to implement
research or special projects approved by the commissioner, and to meet goals or provide
information required by the commissioner, the governor, the legislature or the federal government.
    Subd. 4. Certification of software vendors. The commissioner shall maintain a list of
certified service providers for administrative data processing software and support. To be certified,
a service provider must provide the commissioner with a written statement identifying software
products and support functions that will be provided to school districts and stating its intent to
meet state standards for software, data elements, edits, and support services. The standards must
ensure the quality of the data reported to the state. The commissioner must conduct regular
training sessions for service providers on the standards. If a service provider fails to meet the
standards, the commissioner must notify the service provider of areas of noncompliance and assist
the service provider in correcting the problem. If the provider fails to comply with standards
within two months of being notified of noncompliance, the commissioner may remove the service
provider from the list of certified providers. The commissioner may recertify a service provider
when the commissioner determines that the areas of noncompliance have been corrected.
    Subd. 5. Information on certified service providers. The commissioner must include the
list of certified service providers in the annual data acquisition calendar. The commissioner
must notify school districts if a service provider is removed from the list and of the areas of
noncompliance.
    Subd. 6. Essential data. The department shall maintain a list of essential data elements
which must be recorded and stored about each pupil, licensed and nonlicensed staff member, and
educational program. Each school district must provide the essential data to the department in the
form and format prescribed by the department.
    Subd. 7. Contracting. The department may provide by contract for the technical support of
and the development of applications software by a regional management information center or
by any other appropriate provider.
History: 1980 c 609 art 7 s 11; 1981 c 253 s 25; 1982 c 424 s 130; 1987 c 398 art 7 s 14,15;
1991 c 265 art 9 s 18-20; 1992 c 499 art 6 s 1,2; 1993 c 224 art 14 s 6; 1Sp1995 c 3 art 9 s 10;
art 16 s 13; 1998 c 397 art 4 s 51; 1998 c 398 art 5 s 55; 2003 c 130 s 12