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S.F. No. 711 - Achievement and Integration for Minnesota Program (First Engrossment)
 
Author: Senator Patricia Torres Ray
 
Prepared By: Ann Marie Lewis, Senate Counsel (651/296-5301)
 
Date: April 2, 2013



 

Section 1.  Achievement and Integration for Minnesota.  Subdivision 1.  Program to Close the Academic Achievement and Opportunity Gap.  Establishes the “Achievement and Integration for Minnesota” program to promote diversity, pursue racial and economic integration, and increase student academic achievement and equitable educational opportunities.  Directs eligible districts to use their revenue to pursue racial and economic integration through:

  1. in-school educational practices and integrated learning environments; and
  2. corresponding and meaningful policies and curricula and trained instructors, administrators, school counselors, and other advocates who support and enhance in-school practices and learning environments.

Subdivision 2.  Plan Components.  Requires an eligible school district to develop a long-term comprehensive plan. They may include:  innovative and integrative prekindergarten through grade 12 learning environments that offer school enrollment choices; family engagement initiatives; professional development opportunities for teachers and administrators; increased programmatic opportunities focused on rigor and college and career readiness for underserved students; or recruitment and retention of teachers and administrators with diverse backgrounds.  Requires a district to implement a cost-effective, research-based intervention that includes formative assessment practices.

Subdivision 3.  Biennial Progress; Budget Process.  Requires a school board to hold a public hearing to report its progress in realizing the goals identified in the plan.  The board must provide longitudinal data demonstrating progress in reducing the disparity in student academic achievement among all racial and ethnic categories of students.  The board must submit a detailed budget to the Commissioner, who must approve or disapprove the budget by June 1.

Subdivision 4.  Evaluation.  Requires the Commissioner to evaluate the efficacy of district plans and report their findings to the legislature every fourth year beginning February 1, 2017.

Effective Date.   Makes the section effective for fiscal year 2014 and later.

Section 2.  Achievement and Integration Revenue.  Subdivision 1.  Eligibility.  States that a district is eligible for revenue if it has a biennial achievement and integration plan approved by the Department. A district that includes in its plan methods that have been effective in reducing disparities in academic achievement must be given priority for funding.

Subdivision 2.  Achievement and Integration Revenue.  Establishes a formula for achievement and integration revenue.  Allows for some of the revenue to be transferred to the Department for oversight and accountability activities.  Allows the revenue to be reduced if a district did not meet its achievement goals.

Subdivision 3.  Achievement and Integration Aid.  Establishes a districts aid as 70 percent of its achievement and integration revenue.

Subdivision 4. Achievement and Integration Levy.  Establishes a districts levy as the difference between its revenue and its aid.

Subdivision 5.  Incentive Revenue.  Establishes an eligible district’s maximum incentive aid.  A district receives the revenue if it implements a voluntary plan to reduce racial enrollment disparities through intradistrict and interdistrict  activities that have been approved as part of the district’s achievement and integration plan.

Subdivision 6.  Revenue Reserved.  Requires revenue to be reserved and used only for authorized programs under subdivision 7.

Subdivision 7.  Revenue Uses.  Requires at least 80 percent of a district’s revenue received under this section to be used for innovative and integrated learning environments, family engagement activities, and other approved programs providing direct services to students.  Up to 20 percent of the revenue may be used for professional development activities.  Limits the amount allowed to be used for administrative expenditures.

Effective Date.   Makes the section effective for revenue for fiscal year 2014 and later.

AMB/syl

 
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