2007 Minnesota Statutes

120B.132 RAISED ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT; ADVANCED PLACEMENT AND
INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE PROGRAMS.
    Subdivision 1. Establishment; eligibility. A program is established to raise kindergarten
through grade 12 academic achievement through increased student participation in preadvanced
placement, advanced placement, and international baccalaureate programs, consistent with section
120B.13. Schools and charter schools eligible to participate under this section:
    (1) must have a three-year plan approved by the local school board to establish a new
international baccalaureate program leading to international baccalaureate authorization, expand
an existing program that leads to international baccalaureate authorization, or expand an existing
authorized international baccalaureate program; or
    (2) must have a three-year plan approved by the local school board to create a new or expand
an existing program to implement the college board advanced placement courses and exams or
preadvanced placement initiative; and
    (3) must propose to further raise students' academic achievement by:
    (i) increasing the availability of and all students' access to advanced placement or
international baccalaureate courses or programs;
    (ii) expanding the breadth of advanced placement or international baccalaureate courses or
programs that are available to students;
    (iii) increasing the number and the diversity of the students who participate in advanced
placement or international baccalaureate courses or programs and succeed;
    (iv) providing low-income and other disadvantaged students with increased access to
advanced placement or international baccalaureate courses and programs; or
    (v) increasing the number of high school students, including low-income and other
disadvantaged students, who receive college credit by successfully completing advanced
placement or international baccalaureate courses or programs and achieving satisfactory scores on
related exams.
    Subd. 2. Application and review process; funding priority. (a) Charter schools and
school districts in which eligible schools under subdivision 1 are located may apply to the
commissioner, in the form and manner the commissioner determines, for competitive funding to
further raise students' academic achievement. The application must detail the specific efforts the
applicant intends to undertake in further raising students' academic achievement, consistent with
subdivision 1, and a proposed budget detailing the district or charter school's current and proposed
expenditures for advanced placement, preadvanced placement, and international baccalaureate
courses and programs. The proposed budget must demonstrate that the applicant's efforts will
support implementation of advanced placement, preadvanced placement, and international
baccalaureate courses and programs. Expenditures for administration must not exceed five
percent of the proposed budget. The commissioner may require an applicant to provide additional
information.
    (b) When reviewing applications, the commissioner must determine whether the applicant
satisfied all the requirements in this subdivision and subdivision 1. The commissioner may give
funding priority to an otherwise qualified applicant that demonstrates:
    (1) a focus on developing or expanding preadvanced placement, advanced placement, or
international baccalaureate courses or programs or increasing students' participation in, access
to, or success with the courses or programs, including the participation, access, or success of
low-income and other disadvantaged students;
    (2) a compelling need for access to preadvanced placement, advanced placement, or
international baccalaureate courses or programs;
    (3) an effective ability to actively involve local business and community organizations in
student activities that are integral to preadvanced placement, advanced placement, or international
baccalaureate courses or programs;
    (4) access to additional public or nonpublic funds or in-kind contributions that are available
for preadvanced placement, advanced placement, or international baccalaureate courses or
programs; or
    (5) an intent to implement activities that target low-income and other disadvantaged students.
    Subd. 3. Funding; permissible funding uses. (a) The commissioner shall award grants to
applicant school districts and charter schools that meet the requirements of subdivisions 1 and 2.
The commissioner must award grants on an equitable geographical basis to the extent feasible and
consistent with this section. Grant awards must not exceed the lesser of:
    (1) $85 times the number of pupils enrolled at the participating sites on October 1 of the
previous fiscal year; or
    (2) the approved supplemental expenditures based on the budget submitted under subdivision
2. For charter schools in their first year of operation, the maximum funding award must be
calculated using the number of pupils enrolled on October 1 of the current fiscal year. The
commissioner may adjust the maximum funding award computed using prior year data for changes
in enrollment attributable to school closings, school openings, grade level reconfigurations, or
school district reorganizations between the prior fiscal year and the current fiscal year.
    (b) School districts and charter schools that submit an application and receive funding under
this section must use the funding, consistent with the application, to:
    (1) provide teacher training and instruction to more effectively serve students, including
low-income and other disadvantaged students, who participate in preadvanced placement,
advanced placement, or international baccalaureate courses or programs;
    (2) further develop preadvanced placement, advanced placement, or international
baccalaureate courses or programs;
    (3) improve the transition between grade levels to better prepare students, including
low-income and other disadvantaged students, for succeeding in preadvanced placement,
advanced placement, or international baccalaureate courses or programs;
    (4) purchase books and supplies;
    (5) pay course or program fees;
    (6) increase students' participation in and success with preadvanced placement, advanced
placement, or international baccalaureate courses or programs;
    (7) expand students' access to preadvanced placement, advanced placement, or international
baccalaureate courses or programs through online learning;
    (8) hire appropriately licensed personnel to teach additional advanced placement or
international baccalaureate courses or programs; or
    (9) engage in other activity directly related to expanding students' access to, participation in,
and success with preadvanced placement, advanced placement, or international baccalaureate
courses or programs, including low-income and other disadvantaged students.
    Subd. 4. Annual reports. (a) Each school district and charter school that receives a grant
under this section annually must collect demographic and other student data to demonstrate and
measure the extent to which the district or charter school raised students' academic achievement
under this program and must report the data to the commissioner in the form and manner the
commissioner determines. The commissioner annually by February 15 must make summary data
about this program available to the education policy and finance committees of the legislature.
    (b) Each school district and charter school that receives a grant under this section annually
must report to the commissioner, consistent with the Uniform Financial Accounting and
Reporting Standards, its actual expenditures for advanced placement, preadvanced placement, and
international baccalaureate courses and programs. The report must demonstrate that the school
district or charter school has maintained its effort from other sources for advanced placement,
preadvanced placement, and international baccalaureate courses and programs compared with the
previous fiscal year, and the district or charter school has expended all grant funds, consistent
with its approved budget.
History: 2006 c 282 art 4 s 1; 2007 c 146 art 2 s 7