| 1 | 1 | | 1.1 A bill for an act |
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| 2 | 2 | | 1.2 relating to education; allowing for administration of a nationally recognized college |
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| 3 | 3 | | 1.3 entrance exam; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, sections 120B.30, subdivisions |
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| 4 | 4 | | 1.4 11, 12, 13, 16; 120B.302, subdivision 1; 120B.303, subdivision 2; 120B.305, |
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| 5 | 5 | | 1.5 subdivision 2; 136F.302, subdivisions 1, 1a; repealing Minnesota Statutes 2024, |
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| 6 | 6 | | 1.6 section 120B.302, subdivision 2. |
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| 7 | 7 | | 1.7BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: |
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| 8 | 8 | | 1.8 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 120B.30, subdivision 11, is amended to read: |
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| 9 | 9 | | 1.9 Subd. 11.Testing process.(a) The commissioner must determine the testing process |
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| 10 | 10 | | 1.10and the order of administration. |
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| 11 | 11 | | 1.11 (b) The commissioner must establish a testing period as late as possible each school year |
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| 12 | 12 | | 1.12during which schools must administer the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments to students |
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| 13 | 13 | | 1.13in grades 3 through 8 and a nationally recognized college entrance exam to high school |
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| 14 | 14 | | 1.14students, typically in grade 11 or 12. The commissioner must publish the testing schedule |
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| 15 | 15 | | 1.15at least two years before the beginning of the testing period. |
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| 16 | 16 | | 1.16 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for the 2026-2027 school year and later. |
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| 17 | 17 | | 1.17 Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 120B.30, subdivision 12, is amended to read: |
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| 18 | 18 | | 1.18 Subd. 12.Test administration.(a) The Department of Education shall must contract |
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| 19 | 19 | | 1.19for professional and technical services according to competitive solicitation procedures |
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| 20 | 20 | | 1.20under chapter 16C for purposes of this section. The department must contract with a provider |
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| 21 | 21 | | 1.21of a nationally recognized college entrance exam to fulfill any obligations of this section |
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| 22 | 22 | | 1.22or to satisfy federal accountability requirements for testing in the 2026-2027 school year |
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| 23 | 23 | | 1.23and later. |
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| 24 | 24 | | 1Sec. 2. |
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| 34 | 33 | | 2.2 (1) comprehensive information regarding test administration monitoring practices; and |
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| 35 | 34 | | 2.3 (2) data privacy safeguards for student information to be transmitted to or used by the |
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| 36 | 35 | | 2.4proposing entity. |
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| 37 | 36 | | 2.5 (c) Information provided in the proposal is not security information or trade secret |
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| 38 | 37 | | 2.6information for purposes of section 13.37. |
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| 39 | 38 | | 2.7 EFFECTIVE DATE.The commissioner must contract with the provider to begin testing |
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| 40 | 39 | | 2.8in the 2026-2027 school year and later. |
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| 41 | 40 | | 2.9 Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 120B.30, subdivision 13, is amended to read: |
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| 42 | 41 | | 2.10 Subd. 13.Parental review.Consistent with section 13.34, the commissioner must adopt |
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| 43 | 42 | | 2.11and publish a policy to provide public and parental access for review of Minnesota-developed |
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| 44 | 43 | | 2.12assessments which would not compromise the objectivity or fairness of the testing or |
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| 45 | 44 | | 2.13examination process. Upon receiving a written request, the commissioner must make |
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| 46 | 45 | | 2.14available to parents or guardians a copy of their student's actual responses to the test questions |
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| 47 | 46 | | 2.15for their review. The commissioner must make a webpage available to students and parents |
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| 48 | 47 | | 2.16or guardians that provides information on the content, structure, and uses of the nationally |
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| 49 | 48 | | 2.17recognized college entrance exam, and also includes resources for exam preparation. |
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| 50 | 49 | | 2.18 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for the 2026-2027 school year and later. |
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| 51 | 50 | | 2.19 Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 120B.30, subdivision 16, is amended to read: |
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| 52 | 51 | | 2.20 Subd. 16.College entrance exam.Though not a high school graduation requirement, |
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| 53 | 52 | | 2.21students are encouraged to participate in The commissioner must adopt a nationally |
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| 54 | 53 | | 2.22recognized college entrance exam and provide it, at no cost, to each student in grade 11 or, |
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| 55 | 54 | | 2.23if deferred, grade 12 in accordance with section 120B.302, subdivision 1. The commissioner |
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| 56 | 55 | | 2.24must use the nationally recognized college entrance exam to satisfy federal educational |
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| 57 | 56 | | 2.25accountability requirements in English language arts, math, and science. To the extent state |
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| 58 | 57 | | 2.26funding for college entrance exam fees is available, a district must pay the cost, one time, |
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| 59 | 58 | | 2.27for an interested student in grade 11 or 12 who is eligible for a free or reduced-price meal, |
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| 60 | 59 | | 2.28to take a nationally recognized college entrance exam before graduating. A student must |
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| 61 | 60 | | 2.29be able to take the exam under this paragraph at the student's high school during the school |
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| 62 | 61 | | 2.30day and at any one of the multiple exam administrations available to students in the district. |
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| 63 | 62 | | 2.31A district may administer the ACT or SAT or both the ACT and SAT to comply with this |
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| 64 | 63 | | 2.32paragraph a nationally recognized college entrance exam to satisfy federal accountability |
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| 65 | 64 | | 2Sec. 4. |
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| 67 | 66 | | 3.2one of these two tests and a free or reduced-price meal eligible student opts not to take that |
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| 68 | 67 | | 3.3test and chooses instead to take the other of the two tests, the student may take the other |
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| 69 | 68 | | 3.4test at a different time or location and remains eligible for the examination fee reimbursement. |
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| 70 | 69 | | 3.5Notwithstanding sections 123B.34 to 123B.39, a school district may require a student that |
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| 71 | 70 | | 3.6is not eligible for a free or reduced-price meal to pay the cost of taking a nationally |
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| 72 | 71 | | 3.7recognized college entrance exam. The district must waive the cost for a student unable to |
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| 73 | 72 | | 3.8pay. |
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| 74 | 73 | | 3.9 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for the 2026-2027 school year and later. |
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| 75 | 74 | | 3.10 Sec. 5. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 120B.302, subdivision 1, is amended to read: |
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| 76 | 75 | | 3.11 Subdivision 1.Developing assessments.For purposes of conforming with existing |
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| 77 | 76 | | 3.12federal educational accountability requirements, the commissioner must develop and |
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| 78 | 77 | | 3.13implement computer-adaptive reading and mathematics assessments for grades 3 through |
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| 79 | 78 | | 3.148, state-developed high school reading and mathematics tests aligned with state academic |
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| 80 | 79 | | 3.15standards, a high school writing test aligned with state standards when it becomes available, |
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| 81 | 80 | | 3.16and science assessments that districts and sites must use to monitor student growth toward |
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| 82 | 81 | | 3.17achieving those standards. The commissioner must also provide a nationally recognized |
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| 83 | 82 | | 3.18college entrance exam to students in grade 11 or, if deferred, grade 12. The commissioner |
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| 84 | 83 | | 3.19must: |
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| 85 | 84 | | 3.20 (1) not develop statewide assessments for academic standards in social studies, health |
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| 86 | 85 | | 3.21and physical education, and the arts; and |
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| 87 | 86 | | 3.22 (2) require annual science assessments in one grade in the grades 3 through 5 span,; |
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| 88 | 87 | | 3.23 (3) require annual science assessments in one grade in the grades 6 through 8 span,; and |
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| 89 | 88 | | 3.24a life sciences assessment in the grades 9 through 12 span, and |
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| 90 | 89 | | 3.25 (4) provide students in grade 11 or, if deferred, grade 12, with the opportunity to take a |
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| 97 | 96 | | 4.2 Subd. 2.Targeted instruction plan.A student under subdivision 1, clause (1), must |
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| 98 | 97 | | 4.3receive targeted, relevant, academically rigorous, and resourced instruction, which may |
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| 99 | 98 | | 4.4include a targeted instruction and intervention plan focused on improving the student's |
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| 100 | 99 | | 4.5knowledge and skills in core subjects so that the student has a reasonable chance to succeed |
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| 101 | 100 | | 4.6in a career or college without need for postsecondary remediation. Consistent with sections |
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| 102 | 101 | | 4.7120B.13, 124D.09, 124D.091, 124D.49, and related sections, an enrolling school or district |
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| 103 | 102 | | 4.8must provide a grade 11, or if deferred, grade 12 student with the opportunity to take a |
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| 104 | 103 | | 4.9nationally recognized college entrance exam and actively encourage a the student in grade |
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| 105 | 104 | | 4.1011 or 12 who is identified as academically ready for a career or college to participate in |
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| 106 | 105 | | 4.11courses and programs awarding college credit to high school students. Students are not |
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| 107 | 106 | | 4.12required to achieve a specified score or level of proficiency on an assessment under this |
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| 108 | 107 | | 4.13subdivision to graduate from high school. |
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| 109 | 108 | | 4.14 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for the 2026-2027 school year and later. |
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| 110 | 109 | | 4.15 Sec. 7. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 120B.305, subdivision 2, is amended to read: |
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| 111 | 110 | | 4.16 Subd. 2.Reporting requirements.(a) Reporting of state assessment results must: |
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| 112 | 111 | | 4.17 (1) provide timely, useful, and understandable information on the performance of |
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| 113 | 112 | | 4.18individual students, schools, school districts, and the state; |
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| 114 | 113 | | 4.19 (2) include a growth indicator of student achievement; and |
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| 115 | 114 | | 4.20 (3) determine whether students have met the state's academic standards. |
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| 116 | 115 | | 4.21 (b) The commissioner must ensure that for annual computer-adaptive assessments: |
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| 117 | 116 | | 4.22 (1) individual student performance data and achievement reports are available within |
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| 118 | 117 | | 4.23three school days of when students take an assessment except in a year when an assessment |
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| 119 | 118 | | 4.24reflects new performance standards; |
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| 120 | 119 | | 4.25 (2) growth information is available for each student from the student's first assessment |
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| 121 | 120 | | 4.26to each proximate assessment using a constant measurement scale; |
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| 122 | 121 | | 4.27 (3) parents, teachers, and school administrators are able to use elementary and middle |
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| 123 | 122 | | 4.28school student performance data to project students' secondary and postsecondary |
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| 124 | 123 | | 4.29achievement; and |
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| 125 | 124 | | 4.30 (4) useful diagnostic information about areas of students' academic strengths and |
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| 126 | 125 | | 4.31weaknesses is available to teachers and school administrators for improving student |
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| 127 | 126 | | 4.32instruction and indicating the specific skills and concepts that should be introduced and |
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| 128 | 127 | | 4Sec. 7. |
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| 130 | 129 | | 5.2areas, and aligned to state academic standards. |
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| 131 | 130 | | 5.3 (c) The commissioner, in consultation with the chancellor of the Minnesota State Colleges |
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| 132 | 131 | | 5.4and Universities, must establish empirically derived benchmarks on the high school tests |
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| 133 | 132 | | 5.5that reveal a trajectory toward career and college readiness consistent with section 136F.302, |
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| 134 | 133 | | 5.6subdivision 1a. The commissioner may use data obtained from the nationally recognized |
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| 135 | 134 | | 5.7college entrance exam provided to grade 11, or if deferred, grade 12 students and the |
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| 136 | 135 | | 5.8vertically aligned assessment provided to students between grades 8 and 10 to establish the |
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| 137 | 136 | | 5.9criteria and report on student trajectories toward career and college readiness. The |
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| 138 | 137 | | 5.10commissioner must disseminate to the public the computer-adaptive assessments and high |
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| 139 | 138 | | 5.11school test results upon receiving those results. |
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| 140 | 139 | | 5.12 (d) A school, school district, or charter school may provide a student's parent access to |
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| 141 | 140 | | 5.13the student's individual student performance data and achievement report that is made |
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| 142 | 141 | | 5.14available under paragraph (b), clause (1), when the performance data and report is available |
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| 143 | 142 | | 5.15to the school, school district, or charter school. |
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| 144 | 143 | | 5.16 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for the 2026-2027 school year and later. |
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| 145 | 144 | | 5.17 Sec. 8. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 136F.302, subdivision 1, is amended to read: |
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| 146 | 145 | | 5.18 Subdivision 1.ACT or SAT college ready score; Minnesota Comprehensive |
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| 147 | 146 | | 5.19Assessment career and college ready benchmarks.(a) A state college or university must |
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| 148 | 147 | | 5.20not require an individual to take a remedial, noncredit course in a subject area if the individual |
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| 149 | 148 | | 5.21has received a college ready ACT or SAT score or met a career and college ready Minnesota |
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| 150 | 149 | | 5.22Comprehensive Assessment benchmark in that subject area. Only the ACT and SAT scores |
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| 151 | 150 | | 5.23an individual received and the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment benchmarks an |
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| 152 | 151 | | 5.24individual met in the previous five years are valid for purposes of this section. Each state |
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| 153 | 152 | | 5.25college and university must post notice of the exemption from remedial course taking on |
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| 154 | 153 | | 5.26its website explaining student course placement requirements. |
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| 155 | 154 | | 5.27 (b) When deciding if an individual is admitted to or if an individual may enroll in a state |
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| 156 | 155 | | 5.28college or university, the state college or university must consider the individual's scores |
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| 157 | 156 | | 5.29on the high school Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments ACT or SAT, in addition to |
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| 158 | 157 | | 5.30other factors determined relevant by the college or university. |
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| 159 | 158 | | 5.31 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for the 2026-2027 school year and later. |
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| 160 | 159 | | 5Sec. 8. |
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| 162 | 161 | | 6.2 Subd. 1a.Minnesota comprehensive assessment ACT or SAT career and college |
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| 163 | 162 | | 6.3ready benchmarks scores; remedial education.(a) A state college or university must not |
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| 164 | 163 | | 6.4require an individual to take a remedial, noncredit course in a subject area if the individual |
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| 165 | 164 | | 6.5has received a career and college ready Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment benchmark |
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| 166 | 165 | | 6.6ACT or SAT score in that subject area, consistent with benchmarks established by the |
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| 167 | 166 | | 6.7commissioner of education pursuant to section 120B.305, subdivision 2, paragraph (b). |
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| 168 | 167 | | 6.8 (b) As part of the notification of high school students and their families under section |
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| 169 | 168 | | 6.9120B.305, subdivision 2, paragraph (b), the commissioner shall include a statement that |
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| 170 | 169 | | 6.10students who receive a college ready benchmark score on the high school MCA ACT or |
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| 171 | 170 | | 6.11SAT are not required to take a remedial, noncredit course at a Minnesota state college or |
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| 172 | 171 | | 6.12university in the corresponding subject area. |
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| 173 | 172 | | 6.13 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for the 2026-2027 school year and later. |
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| 174 | 173 | | 6.14 Sec. 10. REPEALER. |
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| 175 | 174 | | 6.15 Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 120B.302, subdivision 2, is repealed. |
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| 176 | 175 | | 6.16 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for the 2026-2027 school year and later. |
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| 177 | 176 | | 6Sec. 10. |
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