| 1 | 1 | | 1.1 A bill for an act |
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| 2 | 2 | | 1.2 relating to education finance; modifying the literacy incentive aid program; |
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| 3 | 3 | | 1.3 establishing new eligible uses for literacy aid; appropriating money for literacy |
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| 4 | 4 | | 1.4 aid; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 124D.98. |
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| 5 | 5 | | 1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: |
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| 6 | 6 | | 1.6 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 124D.98, is amended to read: |
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| 7 | 7 | | 1.7 124D.98 LITERACY INCENTIVE AID. |
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| 8 | 8 | | 1.8 Subdivision 1.Literacy incentive aid.A district's literacy incentive aid equals the sum |
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| 9 | 9 | | 1.9of the proficiency aid under subdivision 2, and the growth aid under subdivision 3 basic |
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| 10 | 10 | | 1.10literacy aid under subdivision 6, English learner literacy aid under subdivision 7, and targeted |
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| 11 | 11 | | 1.11literacy aid under subdivision 8. |
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| 12 | 12 | | 1.12 Subd. 1a.Definitions.(a) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the |
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| 13 | 13 | | 1.13meanings given. |
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| 14 | 14 | | 1.14 (b) "English learner concentration factor" means the ratio of: (1) the district's adjusted |
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| 15 | 15 | | 1.15average daily membership of English learners under section 124D.59, subdivision 2, for |
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| 16 | 16 | | 1.16the previous fiscal year; to (2) the district's total adjusted average daily membership for the |
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| 17 | 17 | | 1.17previous fiscal year. |
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| 18 | 18 | | 1.18 (c) "Poverty concentration factor" means the ratio of: (1) the sum of the number of pupils |
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| 19 | 19 | | 1.19enrolled in the district eligible to receive free meals, plus one-half of the pupils eligible to |
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| 20 | 20 | | 1.20receive reduced-priced meals on October 1 of the previous fiscal year; to (2) the number of |
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| 21 | 21 | | 1.21pupils enrolled in the district on October 1 of the previous fiscal year. |
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| 22 | 22 | | 1Section 1. |
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| 23 | 23 | | REVISOR CR/VJ 25-0515503/24/25 |
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| 24 | 24 | | State of Minnesota |
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| 25 | 25 | | This Document can be made available |
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| 26 | 26 | | in alternative formats upon request |
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| 27 | 27 | | HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
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| 28 | 28 | | H. F. No. 3072 |
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| 29 | 29 | | NINETY-FOURTH SESSION |
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| 30 | 30 | | Authored by Virnig04/02/2025 |
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| 31 | 31 | | The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Education Finance 2.1 Subd. 2.Proficiency aid.The proficiency aid for each school in a district that has |
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| 32 | 32 | | 2.2submitted to the commissioner its local literacy plan under section 120B.12, subdivision |
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| 33 | 33 | | 2.34a, is equal to the product of the school's proficiency allowance times the number of third |
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| 34 | 34 | | 2.4grade pupils at the school on October 1 of the previous fiscal year. A school's proficiency |
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| 35 | 35 | | 2.5allowance is equal to the percentage of students in each building that meet or exceed |
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| 36 | 36 | | 2.6proficiency on the third grade reading Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment, averaged |
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| 37 | 37 | | 2.7across the previous three test administrations, times $530. |
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| 38 | 38 | | 2.8 Subd. 3.Growth aid.The growth aid for each school in a district that has submitted to |
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| 39 | 39 | | 2.9the commissioner its local literacy plan under section 120B.12, subdivision 4a, is equal to |
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| 40 | 40 | | 2.10the product of the school's growth allowance times the number of fourth grade pupils enrolled |
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| 41 | 41 | | 2.11at the school on October 1 of the previous fiscal year. A school's growth allowance is equal |
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| 42 | 42 | | 2.12to the percentage of students at that school making medium or high growth, under subdivision |
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| 43 | 43 | | 2.134, on the fourth grade reading Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment, averaged across the |
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| 44 | 44 | | 2.14previous three test administrations, times $530. |
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| 45 | 45 | | 2.15 Subd. 4.Medium and high growth.(a) The definitions in this subdivision apply to this |
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| 46 | 46 | | 2.16section. |
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| 47 | 47 | | 2.17 (b) "Medium growth" is an assessment score within one-half standard deviation above |
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| 48 | 48 | | 2.18or below the average year-two assessment scores for students with similar year-one |
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| 49 | 49 | | 2.19assessment scores. |
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| 50 | 50 | | 2.20 (c) "High growth" is an assessment score one-half standard deviation or more above the |
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| 51 | 51 | | 2.21average year-two assessment scores for students with similar year-one assessment scores. |
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| 52 | 52 | | 2.22 Subd. 5.Literacy incentive aid uses.A school district must use its literacy incentive |
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| 53 | 53 | | 2.23aid to support implementation of evidence-based reading instruction meet the requirements |
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| 54 | 54 | | 2.24and goals adopted in the district's local literacy plan under section 120B.12, subdivision 4a. |
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| 55 | 55 | | 2.25The following are eligible uses of literacy incentive aid: |
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| 56 | 56 | | 2.26 (1) training for kindergarten through grade 3 teachers, early childhood educators, special |
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| 57 | 57 | | 2.27education teachers, reading intervention teachers working with students in kindergarten |
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| 58 | 58 | | 2.28through grade 12, curriculum directors, and instructional support staff that provide reading |
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| 59 | 59 | | 2.29instruction, on using evidence-based screening and progress monitoring tools; |
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| 60 | 60 | | 2.30 (2) evidence-based training using a training program approved by the Department of |
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| 61 | 61 | | 2.31Education under the Read Act; |
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| 62 | 62 | | 2.32 (3) employing or contracting with a literacy lead, as defined in section 120B.119; |
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| 63 | 63 | | 2.33 (4) employing an intervention specialist; |
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| 64 | 64 | | 2Section 1. |
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| 65 | 65 | | REVISOR CR/VJ 25-0515503/24/25 3.1 (5) approved screeners, materials, training, and ongoing coaching to ensure reading |
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| 66 | 66 | | 3.2interventions under section 125A.56, subdivision 1, are evidence-based; |
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| 67 | 67 | | 3.3 (6) costs of substitute teachers to allow teachers to complete required training during |
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| 68 | 68 | | 3.4the teachers' contract day; and |
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| 69 | 69 | | 3.5 (7) stipends for teachers completing training required under section 120B.12. |
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| 70 | 70 | | 3.6 Subd. 6.Basic literacy aid.(a) A district's basic literacy aid equals the product of: (1) |
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| 71 | 71 | | 3.7the basic literacy aid allowance; and (2) the district's adjusted average daily membership |
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| 72 | 72 | | 3.8for kindergarten through grade four for the previous fiscal year. |
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| 73 | 73 | | 3.9 (b) The basic literacy aid allowance equals $....... for fiscal year 2026 and later. |
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| 74 | 74 | | 3.10 Subd. 7.English learner literacy aid.(a) A district's English learner literacy aid equals |
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| 75 | 75 | | 3.11the product of: (1) the English learner literacy aid allowance; (2) the district's English learner |
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| 76 | 76 | | 3.12concentration factor; and (3) the district's adjusted average daily membership for kindergarten |
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| 77 | 77 | | 3.13through grade four for the previous fiscal year. |
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| 78 | 78 | | 3.14 (b) The English learner literacy aid allowance equals $....... for fiscal year 2026 and later. |
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| 79 | 79 | | 3.15 Subd. 8.Targeted literacy aid.(a) A district's targeted literacy aid equals the product |
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| 80 | 80 | | 3.16of: (1) the statewide targeted literacy aid allowance; (2) the district's poverty concentration |
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| 81 | 81 | | 3.17factor; and (3) the district's adjusted average daily membership for kindergarten through |
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| 82 | 82 | | 3.18grade four for the previous fiscal year. |
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| 83 | 83 | | 3.19 (b) The statewide targeted literacy aid allowance equals $....... for fiscal year 2026 and |
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| 84 | 84 | | 3.20later. |
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| 85 | 85 | | 3.21 Subd. 9.Free and reduced-price meals.The commissioner must determine the number |
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| 86 | 86 | | 3.22of children eligible to receive either a free or reduced-price meal on October 1 each year |
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| 87 | 87 | | 3.23by means of direct certification or through the application for educational benefits. Children |
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| 88 | 88 | | 3.24enrolled in a district on October 1 and determined to be eligible to receive free or |
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| 89 | 89 | | 3.25reduced-price meals by December 15 of that school year must be counted as eligible on |
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| 90 | 90 | | 3.26October 1 for purposes of aid under this section. The commissioner may use federal |
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| 91 | 91 | | 3.27definitions for these purposes and may adjust these definitions as appropriate. The |
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| 92 | 92 | | 3.28commissioner may adopt reporting guidelines to assure accuracy of data counts and |
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| 93 | 93 | | 3.29eligibility. Districts must use any guidelines adopted by the commissioner. |
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| 94 | 94 | | 3.30 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for aid payable in fiscal year 2026 and |
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| 95 | 95 | | 3.31later. |
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| 96 | 96 | | 3Section 1. |
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| 97 | 97 | | REVISOR CR/VJ 25-0515503/24/25 4.1 Sec. 2. APPROPRIATIONS. |
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| 98 | 98 | | 4.2 Subdivision 1.Department of Education.The sums indicated in this section are |
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| 99 | 99 | | 4.3appropriated from the general fund to the Department of Education for the fiscal years |
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| 100 | 100 | | 4.4designated. |
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| 101 | 101 | | 4.5 Subd. 2.Literacy aid.(a) For literacy aid under Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.98: |
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| 102 | 102 | | 2026............4.6 $ |
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| 103 | 103 | | 2027............4.7 $ |
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| 104 | 104 | | 4.8 (b) The 2026 appropriation includes $....... for 2025 and $....... for 2026. |
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| 105 | 105 | | 4.9 (c) The 2027 appropriation includes $....... for 2026 and $....... for 2027. |
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| 106 | 106 | | 4Sec. 2. |
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| 107 | 107 | | REVISOR CR/VJ 25-0515503/24/25 |
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