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S.F. No. 990 - Student Achievement Backpack
 
Author: Senator Charles W. Wiger
 
Prepared By: Ann Marie Lewis, Senate Counsel (651/296-5301)
 
Date: February 27, 2015



 

Section 1. Student Achievement Backpack.

Subdivision 1. Definitions.  Defines:  “authorized local education agency user” as a teacher or other person who is employed by a school that provides instruction to a student and authorized to access data in a student achievement backpack; “local education agency” as a school district, charter school, charter school authorizer, education cooperative, an intermediate school district, or an education district; “Student achievement backpack” as a complete learner profile that is in electronic format, follows the student from grade-to-grade and school-to-school, is accessible by the student’s parent or guardian, and is accessible by an authorized local education agency user; and “Minnesota Student Record Center” as a repository of student data collected from local education agencies.

Subdivision 2.  Student Achievement Backpack. Directs the Commissioner to use the statewide longitudinal education data system to allow access to a student’s student achievement backpack.  Directs the Commissioner to ensure that each student achievement backpack does the following:  provides a uniform reporting mechanism for individual student’s progress; provides a learner history for postsecondary planning; provides a teacher with visibility into a student’s learner profile to inform instruction and personalize education; assists a teacher or administrator in diagnosing a student’s learning needs; facilitates the parent or guardian in taking an active role in their student’s education; and serves as additional disaster mitigation for local education agencies.

Subdivision 3.  Minnesota Student Record Center. Directs the Commissioner to establish a Minnesota Student Records Center using existing information collected.  The record center permits parents to allow a local education agency user access to student information and to request transfer of student records.  Requires the Commissioner to implement security measures to ensure that student data is secure and confidential.  Parents access their student’s backpack from the local education agency or school in which the student is enrolled.  The Commissioner must develop policies to help school districts to respond to parent requests.

Subdivision 4.  Data Accessibility.  By June 30, 2016, a student achievement backpack must include the following data:  student demographics; course grades; course history; and results for state-mandated assessments.  By June 30, 2017, a student achievement backpack must include the following additional data:  attendance records; name of a student’s teacher and the teacher’s qualifications; results of formative, interim, and summative computer adaptive assessments; detailed data demonstrating a student’s mastery of state academic standards; results from career and college readiness assessments; reading proficiency levels; and federal free or reduced-priced lunch program eligibility.  By June 30, 2018, the Commissioner must ensure that the collected data are integrated into each local student information system.

AMB/syl

 
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