1.1 A bill for an act
1.2 relating to early education; establishing early childhood literacy pilot programs;
1.3 appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 124D.162.
1.4BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.5 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 124D.162, is amended to read:
1.6 124D.162 KINDERGARTEN ENTRY ASSESSMENT.
1.7 Subdivision 1.Assessment required.The commissioner of education must implement
1.8a kindergarten entry assessment of incoming kindergartners to identify the percent of
1.9kindergartners who meet or exceed end-of-year prekindergarten early learning standards.
1.10 Subd. 2.Process.(a) School districts and charter schools must choose a kindergarten
1.11entry assessment tool from a menu The commissioner must identify a selection of valid and
1.12reliable measurement instruments approved by the department that:
1.13 (1) are aligned to the state early childhood indicators of progress and kindergarten
1.14standards and are based on the criteria to be an early learning assessment approved by the
1.15department;
1.16 (2) support the comprehensive achievement and civic readiness goals in section 120B.11,
1.17subdivision 1, paragraph (c); and
1.18 (3) are based, in part, on information collected from teachers, early learning professionals,
1.19families, and other partners.; and
1.20 (4) are aligned to the tools used for screening under section 120B.12.
1Section 1.
25-03855 as introduced02/18/25 REVISOR CR/DG
SENATE
STATE OF MINNESOTA
S.F. No. 2027NINETY-FOURTH SESSION
(SENATE AUTHORS: MAYE QUADE)
OFFICIAL STATUSD-PGDATE
Introduction and first reading02/27/2025
Referred to Health and Human Services 2.1 (b) The department must provide technical assistance and professional development
2.2related to the assessment required under this section to educators, school districts, and charter
2.3schools.
2.4 (c) The requirements under section 16C.08 do not apply to the selection of tools under
2.5this section.
2.6 Subd. 3.Reporting.School districts and charter schools must annually report the results
2.7of kindergarten entry assessments to the department in a form and manner determined by
2.8the commissioner that is concurrent with a district's and charter school's comprehensive
2.9achievement and civic readiness report under section 120B.11, subdivision 5. The
2.10commissioner must publicly report kindergarten readiness results as part of the performance
2.11reports required under section 120B.36 and in a manner consistent with section 120B.35,
2.12subdivision 3, paragraph (a), clause (2).
2.13 Subd. 4.Implementation.The requirements under this section must be phased in over
2.14three school years with all school districts and charter schools complying beginning with
2.15the 2025-2026 2026-2027 school year.
2.16 Sec. 2. EARLY CHILDHOOD LITERACY PILOT PROGRAMS.
2.17 Subdivision 1.Definitions.(a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms have
2.18the meanings given.
2.19 (b) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of education.
2.20 (c) "Structured literacy" has the meaning given in Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.119,
2.21subdivision 15.
2.22 Subd. 2.Expert panel.(a) The commissioner must convene an expert panel to review
2.23literacy research and make recommendations for improving early childhood literacy. The
2.24expert panel must be made up of:
2.25 (1) state and national experts in structured literacy, including but not limited to researchers
2.26and practitioners; and
2.27 (2) experts in developmentally appropriate practice, assessment, curriculum, professional
2.28development, and family engagement, including but not limited to researchers who have
2.29studied literacy for early education, early educators, caregivers, family advocates, and
2.30individuals from organizations working in support of young children's education and
2.31development.
2Sec. 2.
25-03855 as introduced02/18/25 REVISOR CR/DG 3.1 (b) The expert panel must review original research and reports related to early childhood
3.2literacy and identify solutions based on structured literacy that support whole child
3.3development in the areas of:
3.4 (1) family engagement;
3.5 (2) curricula;
3.6 (3) professional development;
3.7 (4) instructional practices; and
3.8 (5) assessment practices and tiered intervention models.
3.9 (c) The expert panel must make recommendations to the commissioner on practices in
3.10the areas specified in paragraph (b) for inclusion in pilot programs under this section. The
3.11expert panel must recommend practices that are evidence-based or that the panel agrees
3.12warrant testing as part of a pilot program. The full set of recommendations must be designed
3.13to improve outcomes in the kindergarten entry assessment under Minnesota Statutes, section
3.14124D.162.
3.15 Subd. 3.Pilot programs.(a) To the extent funding is available, the commissioner must
3.16implement pilot programs based on the recommendations of the expert panel.
3.17 (b) To the extent practicable, the commissioner must implement the pilot programs
3.18required under this section in different early care and learning settings, including in public
3.19school prekindergarten programs, Head Start programs, licensed family child care settings,
3.20licensed child care centers, and children's home environments.
3.21 Subd. 4.Evaluation.(a) The commissioner must contract with an independent research
3.22organization to develop and implement an evaluation of the pilot programs required under
3.23this section to determine each program's effectiveness in showing growth on measures of
3.24literacy outcomes for children in preschool and early elementary grades.
3.25 (b) During the evaluation, children's prereading skills must be measured using assessments
3.26that have been validated as predictive of future reading performance, including but not
3.27limited to measurement conducted as part of required screening under Minnesota Statutes,
3.28section 120B.12.
3.29 Subd. 5.Annual and comprehensive reviews.(a) Each year a pilot program is in effect,
3.30the commissioner must convene a public meeting to:
3.31 (1) review each implemented pilot program's successes and barriers;
3.32 (2) review the results of evaluations required under this section; and
3Sec. 2.
25-03855 as introduced02/18/25 REVISOR CR/DG 4.1 (3) make recommendations to improve implementation of the pilot programs and each
4.2program's efficacy.
4.3 (b) Each public meeting must include legislators, members of the expert panel, pilot
4.4program participants, and evaluators.
4.5 (c) In addition to convening the annual review meetings, the commissioner must examine
4.6initial and long-term outcome evaluation results required under this section across all
4.7developmental domains within the state's early childhood indicators of progress.
4.8 Subd. 6.Recommendations.By February 1, 2029, the commissioner must submit to
4.9the legislative committees with jurisdiction over early childhood education recommendations
4.10for implementing, on a larger scale, proven approaches for improving early childhood
4.11literacy based on the results of the pilot programs implemented under this section.
4.12 Subd. 7.Coordination with the commissioner of children, youth, and families.The
4.13commissioner must work in coordination with the commissioner of children, youth, and
4.14families to carry out the requirements of this section.
4.15 Sec. 3. APPROPRIATION.
4.16 Subdivision 1.Department of Education.The sum indicated in this section is
4.17appropriated from the general fund to the Department of Education in the fiscal year
4.18designated.
4.19 Subd. 2.Early childhood literacy pilot programs.(a) For implementation, evaluation,
4.20and review of early childhood literacy pilot programs:
2026.....3,500,0004.21 $
4.22 (b) This is a onetime appropriation and is available until June 30, 2029.
4Sec. 3.
25-03855 as introduced02/18/25 REVISOR CR/DG