Minnesota 2023-2024 Regular Session

Minnesota Senate Bill SF1401 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1.1 A bill for an act
2	2	1.2 relating to education; integrating service-learning into Minnesota's education
3	3	1.3 system; establishing an evidence-based service-learning technical assistance and
4	4	1.4 grant program; requiring reports; appropriating money; amending Minnesota
5	5	1.5 Statutes 2022, section 124D.50, by adding a subdivision; proposing coding for
6	6	1.6 new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 124D.
7	7	1.7BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
8	8	1.8 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 124D.50, is amended by adding a subdivision
9	9	1.9to read:
10	10	1.10 Subd. 2a.Service-learning specialist; service-learning work.(a) The commissioner
11	11	1.11must create a service-learning specialist position in the department to expand evidence-based
12	12	1.12service-learning; coordinate service-learning grants under section 124D.501; and provide
13	13	1.13technical assistance to eligible schools and their community-based partners, including
14	14	1.14nonprofit organizations, community education programs, state or federal agencies, and
15	15	1.15political subdivisions.
16	16	1.16 (b) The commissioner may provide or may contract for specialized expertise in school-
17	17	1.17and community-based service-learning best practices, professional development or training,
18	18	1.18service-learning research or evaluation, or development of service-learning communities.
19	19	1.19 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective July 1, 2023.
20	20	1.20 Sec. 2. [124D.501] INNOVATIVE INCUBATOR SERVICE-LEARNING GRANTS.
21	21	1.21 Subdivision 1.Definitions.(a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms have
22	22	1.22the meanings given.
23	23	1Sec. 2.
24	24	23-01359 as introduced01/04/23 REVISOR CM/AD
25	25	SENATE
26	26	STATE OF MINNESOTA
27	27	S.F. No. 1401NINETY-THIRD SESSION
28	28	(SENATE AUTHORS: WESTLIN)
29	29	OFFICIAL STATUSD-PGDATE
30	30	Introduction and first reading02/08/2023
31	31	Referred to Education Policy 2.1 (b) "Eligible school" means a school district or school site operated by a school district,
32	32	2.2charter school, or Tribal contract or grant school eligible for state aid under section 124D.83,
33	33	2.3or cooperative unit under section 123A.24, subdivision 2.
34	34	2.4 (c) "Eligible service-learning partnership" means a partnership that includes an eligible
35	35	2.5school and at least one community-based organization, community education program, state
36	36	2.6or federal agency, or political subdivision. An eligible service-learning partnership may
37	37	2.7include other individuals or entities, such as a postsecondary faculty member or institution,
38	38	2.8parent, other community member, local business or business organization, or local media
39	39	2.9representative. A school district member in an eligible service-learning partnership may
40	40	2.10participate in the partnership through a community education program established under
41	41	2.11section 124D.19.
42	42	2.12 Subd. 2.Establishment; eligibility criteria; application requirements.(a) A five-year
43	43	2.13technical assistance and grant program is established to initiate or expand and strengthen
44	44	2.14innovative service-learning opportunities for students in kindergarten through grade 12;
45	45	2.15increase student engagement and academic achievement; help close the academic
46	46	2.16achievement gap and the community, college, and career opportunity gaps; and create a
47	47	2.17positive school climate and safer schools and communities.
48	48	2.18 (b) At least one teacher, administrator, or program staff member and at least one
49	49	2.19service-learning specialist, service-learning coordinator, curriculum specialist, or other
50	50	2.20qualified employee employed by an eligible school and designated to develop and share
51	51	2.21expertise in implementing service-learning best practices must work with students to form
52	52	2.22a student-adult partnership. Before developing and submitting a grant application to the
53	53	2.23department, a participating student must work with at least one adult who is part of the
54	54	2.24initial partnership to identify a need or opportunity to pursue through a service-learning
55	55	2.25partnership and invite at least one partner to collaborate in developing and submitting a
56	56	2.26grant application. The fiscal agent for the grant to an eligible service-learning partnership
57	57	2.27is an eligible school that is a member of the partnership or has a program that is a member
58	58	2.28of the partnership.
59	59	2.29 (c) An eligible service-learning partnership receiving an innovation service-learning
60	60	2.30grant must:
61	61	2.31 (1) include at least two or more enrolled students; two or more school employees of an
62	62	2.32eligible school in accordance with paragraph (b); and an eligible community-based
63	63	2.33organization, community education program, state or federal agency, or political subdivision;
64	64	2.34and
65	65	2Sec. 2.
66	66	23-01359 as introduced01/04/23 REVISOR CM/AD 3.1 (2) assist students to:
67	67	3.2 (i) actively participate in service-learning experiences that meet identified student and
68	68	3.3community needs or opportunities;
69	69	3.4 (ii) operate collaboratively with service-learning partnership members;
70	70	3.5 (iii) align service-learning experiences with at least one state or local academic standard,
71	71	3.6which may include a local career and technical education standard;
72	72	3.7 (iv) apply students' knowledge and skills in their community and help solve community
73	73	3.8problems or address community opportunities;
74	74	3.9 (v) foster students' civic engagement; and
75	75	3.10 (vi) explore or pursue career pathways and support career and college readiness.
76	76	3.11 (d) An eligible service-learning partnership interested in receiving a grant must apply
77	77	3.12to the commissioner of education in the form and manner determined by the commissioner.
78	78	3.13The partnership must work with an eligible school. Consistent with this subdivision, the
79	79	3.14application must describe the eligible service-learning partnership plan to:
80	80	3.15 (1) incorporate student-designed and student-led service-learning into the school
81	81	3.16curriculum or specific courses or across subject areas;
82	82	3.17 (2) provide students with instruction and experiences using service-learning best practices
83	83	3.18during the regular school day with an option to supplement their service-learning experiences
84	84	3.19outside of the school day;
85	85	3.20 (3) align service-learning experiences with at least one state or local academic standard,
86	86	3.21which may include a local career or technical education standard, and at least one goal of
87	87	3.22the world's best workforce in accordance with section 120B.11 or the state plan submitted
88	88	3.23and approved under the most recent reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary
89	89	3.24Education Act;
90	90	3.25 (4) make implementing service-learning best practices an educational priority;
91	91	3.26 (5) provide student-designed, student-led service-learning experiences that help meet
92	92	3.27community needs or develop or advance community opportunities; and
93	93	3.28 (6) identify at least one eligible school teacher, administrator, or program staff member
94	94	3.29and at least one service-learning specialist, service-learning coordinator, curriculum specialist,
95	95	3.30or other qualified eligible school employee designated to develop and share expertise in
96	96	3.31implementing service-learning best practices to work with students to form a student-adult
97	97	3Sec. 2.
98	98	23-01359 as introduced01/04/23 REVISOR CM/AD 4.1partnership that includes at least one community-based organization, community education
99	99	4.2program, state or federal agency, or political subdivision.
100	100	4.3 Subd. 3.Innovation grants.The commissioner of education must annually award up
101	101	4.4to 32 grants of up to $50,000 each to allow eligible partnerships to provide student-designed,
102	102	4.5student-led service-learning opportunities consistent with this section. Grant awards must
103	103	4.6be equitably distributed throughout Minnesota by congressional district. The commissioner
104	104	4.7may designate start-up or leader grant categories with differentiated maximum grant dollar
105	105	4.8amounts up to $50,000. A grantee designated as leader grantee may be required to meet
106	106	4.9additional leader grant requirements as established by the commissioner in the grant
107	107	4.10application criteria developed by the commissioner. The commissioner may renew a grant
108	108	4.11annually as appropriated funds are available and consistent with the grant criteria established
109	109	4.12in this section and other criteria the commissioner may establish for grant eligibility or for
110	110	4.13renewing a grant. In order to receive a grant, a partnership must provide a 50 percent match
111	111	4.14in funds or in-kind contributions unless the commissioner waives the match requirement
112	112	4.15for an applicant serving a high number of students whose families meet federal poverty
113	113	4.16guidelines. A partnership grantee must allocate the grant amount according to its grant
114	114	4.17application. The partnership must convey 50 percent of the actual grant amount to at least
115	115	4.18one community-based organization, community education program, state or federal agency,
116	116	4.19or political subdivision to help implement or defray the direct costs of carrying out the
117	117	4.20service-learning strategies and activities described in the partnership's grant application.
118	118	4.21 Subd. 4.Evaluation.The commissioner of education must evaluate innovative, incubator,
119	119	4.22service-learning awarded grants based on the educational and developmental outcomes of
120	120	4.23participating students and the eligible school's progress toward meeting at least one goal of
121	121	4.24the world's best workforce goals in accordance with section 120B.11 or the state plan
122	122	4.25submitted and approved under the most recent reauthorization of the Elementary and
123	123	4.26Secondary Education Act. The commissioner must evaluate the success of service-learning
124	124	4.27grants based on the community outcomes achieved through student service-learning
125	125	4.28experiences and the corresponding student service activities. The commissioner must submit
126	126	4.29a report on participating student and community outcomes under this section to the legislative
127	127	4.30committees with jurisdiction over kindergarten through grade 12 education by February 15,
128	128	4.312030.
129	129	4.32 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective July 1, 2023.
130	130	4Sec. 2.
131	131	23-01359 as introduced01/04/23 REVISOR CM/AD 5.1 Sec. 3. APPROPRIATION.
132	132	5.2 Subdivision 1.Department of Education.The sums indicated in this section are
133	133	5.3appropriated from the general fund to the Department of Education in the fiscal years
134	134	5.4designated.
135	135	5.5 Subd. 2.Service-learning specialist; service-learning work.(a) For the service-learning
136	136	5.6specialist position at the Department of Education under Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.50,
137	137	5.7subdivision 2a, and for related service-learning work under Minnesota Statutes, section
138	138	5.8124D.501:
139	139	2024.....300,0005.9 $
140	140	2025.....300,0005.10 $
141	141	5.11 (b) Any balance in the first year does not cancel but is available in the second year.
142	142	5.12 (c) The base for fiscal year 2026 and later is $300,000.
143	143	5.13 Subd. 3.Innovative service-learning grants.(a) For innovative service-learning grants
144	144	5.14under Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.501:
145	145	2024.....1,000,0005.15 $
146	146	2025.....1,000,0005.16 $
147	147	5.17 (b) Any balance in the first year does not cancel but is available in the second year.
148	148	5.18 (c) The base for fiscal year 2026 and later is $1,000,000.
149	149	5Sec. 3.
150	150	23-01359 as introduced01/04/23 REVISOR CM/AD