Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Minnesota Senate Bill SF2067 Latest Draft

Bill / Engrossed Version Filed 03/13/2025

                            1.1	A bill for an act​
1.2 relating to education; allowing for administration of a nationally recognized college​
1.3 entrance exam; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, sections 120B.30, subdivisions​
1.4 11, 12, 13, 16; 120B.302, subdivision 1; 120B.303, subdivision 2; 120B.305,​
1.5 subdivision 2; 136F.302, subdivisions 1, 1a; repealing Minnesota Statutes 2024,​
1.6 section 120B.302, subdivision 2.​
1.7BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:​
1.8 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 120B.30, subdivision 11, is amended to read:​
1.9 Subd. 11.Testing process.(a) The commissioner must determine the testing process​
1.10and the order of administration.​
1.11 (b) The commissioner must establish a testing period as late as possible each school year​
1.12during which schools must administer the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments to students​
1.13in grades 3 through 8 and a nationally recognized college entrance exam to high school​
1.14students, typically in grade 11 or 12. The commissioner must publish the testing schedule​
1.15at least two years before the beginning of the testing period.​
1.16 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for the 2026-2027 school year and later.​
1.17 Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 120B.30, subdivision 12, is amended to read:​
1.18 Subd. 12.Test administration.(a) The Department of Education shall must contract​
1.19for professional and technical services according to competitive solicitation procedures​
1.20under chapter 16C for purposes of this section. The department must contract with a provider​
1.21of a nationally recognized college entrance exam to fulfill any obligations of this section​
1.22or to satisfy federal accountability requirements for testing in the 2026-2027 school year​
1.23and later.​
1​Sec. 2.​
S2067-1 1st Engrossment​SF2067 REVISOR CR​
SENATE​
STATE OF MINNESOTA​
S.F. No. 2067​NINETY-FOURTH SESSION​
(SENATE AUTHORS: CWODZINSKI and Coleman)​
OFFICIAL STATUS​D-PG​DATE​
Introduction and first reading​610​03/03/2025​
Referred to Education Policy​
Comm report: To pass as amended and re-refer to Education Finance​03/13/2025​ 2.1 (b) A proposal submitted under this section must include disclosures containing:​
2.2 (1) comprehensive information regarding test administration monitoring practices; and​
2.3 (2) data privacy safeguards for student information to be transmitted to or used by the​
2.4proposing entity.​
2.5 (c) Information provided in the proposal is not security information or trade secret​
2.6information for purposes of section 13.37.​
2.7 EFFECTIVE DATE.The commissioner must contract with the provider to begin testing​
2.8in the 2026-2027 school year and later.​
2.9 Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 120B.30, subdivision 13, is amended to read:​
2.10 Subd. 13.Parental review.Consistent with section 13.34, the commissioner must adopt​
2.11and publish a policy to provide public and parental access for review of Minnesota-developed​
2.12assessments which would not compromise the objectivity or fairness of the testing or​
2.13examination process. Upon receiving a written request, the commissioner must make​
2.14available to parents or guardians a copy of their student's actual responses to the test questions​
2.15for their review. The commissioner must make a webpage available to students and parents​
2.16or guardians that provides information on the content, structure, and uses of the nationally​
2.17recognized college entrance exam, and also includes resources for exam preparation.​
2.18 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for the 2026-2027 school year and later.​
2.19 Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 120B.30, subdivision 16, is amended to read:​
2.20 Subd. 16.College entrance exam.Though not a high school graduation requirement,​
2.21students are encouraged to participate in The commissioner must adopt a nationally​
2.22recognized college entrance exam and provide it, at no cost, to each student in grade 11 or,​
2.23if deferred, grade 12 in accordance with section 120B.302, subdivision 1. The commissioner​
2.24must use the nationally recognized college entrance exam to satisfy federal educational​
2.25accountability requirements in English language arts, math, and science. To the extent state​
2.26funding for college entrance exam fees is available, a district must pay the cost, one time,​
2.27for an interested student in grade 11 or 12 who is eligible for a free or reduced-price meal,​
2.28to take a nationally recognized college entrance exam before graduating. A student must​
2.29be able to take the exam under this paragraph at the student's high school during the school​
2.30day and at any one of the multiple exam administrations available to students in the district.​
2.31A district may administer the ACT or SAT or both the ACT and SAT to comply with this​
2.32paragraph a nationally recognized college entrance exam to satisfy federal accountability​
2​Sec. 4.​
S2067-1 1st Engrossment​SF2067 REVISOR CR​ 3.1requirements in English language arts, math, and science. If the district administers only​
3.2one of these two tests and a free or reduced-price meal eligible student opts not to take that​
3.3test and chooses instead to take the other of the two tests, the student may take the other​
3.4test at a different time or location and remains eligible for the examination fee reimbursement.​
3.5Notwithstanding sections 123B.34 to 123B.39, a school district may require a student that​
3.6is not eligible for a free or reduced-price meal to pay the cost of taking a nationally​
3.7recognized college entrance exam. The district must waive the cost for a student unable to​
3.8pay.​
3.9 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for the 2026-2027 school year and later.​
3.10 Sec. 5. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 120B.302, subdivision 1, is amended to read:​
3.11 Subdivision 1.Developing assessments.For purposes of conforming with existing​
3.12federal educational accountability requirements, the commissioner must develop and​
3.13implement computer-adaptive reading and mathematics assessments for grades 3 through​
3.148, state-developed high school reading and mathematics tests aligned with state academic​
3.15standards, a high school writing test aligned with state standards when it becomes available,​
3.16and science assessments that districts and sites must use to monitor student growth toward​
3.17achieving those standards. The commissioner must also provide a nationally recognized​
3.18college entrance exam to students in grade 11 or, if deferred, grade 12. The commissioner​
3.19must:​
3.20 (1) not develop statewide assessments for academic standards in social studies, health​
3.21and physical education, and the arts; and​
3.22 (2) require annual science assessments in one grade in the grades 3 through 5 span,;​
3.23 (3) require annual science assessments in one grade in the grades 6 through 8 span,; and​
3.24a life sciences assessment in the grades 9 through 12 span, and​
3.25 (4) provide students in grade 11 or, if deferred, grade 12, with the opportunity to take a​
3.26nationally recognized college entrance exam that assesses science skills.​
3.27The commissioner must not require students to achieve a passing score on high school​
3.28science assessments as a condition of receiving a high school diploma.​
3.29 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for the 2026-2027 school year and later.​
3​Sec. 5.​
S2067-1 1st Engrossment​SF2067 REVISOR CR​ 4.1 Sec. 6. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 120B.303, subdivision 2, is amended to read:​
4.2 Subd. 2.Targeted instruction plan.A student under subdivision 1, clause (1), must​
4.3receive targeted, relevant, academically rigorous, and resourced instruction, which may​
4.4include a targeted instruction and intervention plan focused on improving the student's​
4.5knowledge and skills in core subjects so that the student has a reasonable chance to succeed​
4.6in a career or college without need for postsecondary remediation. Consistent with sections​
4.7120B.13, 124D.09, 124D.091, 124D.49, and related sections, an enrolling school or district​
4.8must provide a grade 11, or if deferred, grade 12 student with the opportunity to take a​
4.9nationally recognized college entrance exam and actively encourage a the student in grade​
4.1011 or 12 who is identified as academically ready for a career or college to participate in​
4.11courses and programs awarding college credit to high school students. Students are not​
4.12required to achieve a specified score or level of proficiency on an assessment under this​
4.13subdivision to graduate from high school.​
4.14 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for the 2026-2027 school year and later.​
4.15 Sec. 7. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 120B.305, subdivision 2, is amended to read:​
4.16 Subd. 2.Reporting requirements.(a) Reporting of state assessment results must:​
4.17 (1) provide timely, useful, and understandable information on the performance of​
4.18individual students, schools, school districts, and the state;​
4.19 (2) include a growth indicator of student achievement; and​
4.20 (3) determine whether students have met the state's academic standards.​
4.21 (b) The commissioner must ensure that for annual computer-adaptive assessments:​
4.22 (1) individual student performance data and achievement reports are available within​
4.23three school days of when students take an assessment except in a year when an assessment​
4.24reflects new performance standards;​
4.25 (2) growth information is available for each student from the student's first assessment​
4.26to each proximate assessment using a constant measurement scale;​
4.27 (3) parents, teachers, and school administrators are able to use elementary and middle​
4.28school student performance data to project students' secondary and postsecondary​
4.29achievement; and​
4.30 (4) useful diagnostic information about areas of students' academic strengths and​
4.31weaknesses is available to teachers and school administrators for improving student​
4.32instruction and indicating the specific skills and concepts that should be introduced and​
4​Sec. 7.​
S2067-1 1st Engrossment​SF2067 REVISOR CR​ 5.1developed for students at given performance levels, organized by strands within subject​
5.2areas, and aligned to state academic standards.​
5.3 (c) The commissioner, in consultation with the chancellor of the Minnesota State Colleges​
5.4and Universities, must establish empirically derived benchmarks on the high school tests​
5.5that reveal a trajectory toward career and college readiness consistent with section 136F.302,​
5.6subdivision 1a. The commissioner may use data obtained from the nationally recognized​
5.7college entrance exam provided to grade 11, or if deferred, grade 12 students and the​
5.8vertically aligned assessment provided to students between grades 8 and 10 to establish the​
5.9criteria and report on student trajectories toward career and college readiness. The​
5.10commissioner must disseminate to the public the computer-adaptive assessments and high​
5.11school test results upon receiving those results.​
5.12 (d) A school, school district, or charter school may provide a student's parent access to​
5.13the student's individual student performance data and achievement report that is made​
5.14available under paragraph (b), clause (1), when the performance data and report is available​
5.15to the school, school district, or charter school.​
5.16 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for the 2026-2027 school year and later.​
5.17 Sec. 8. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 136F.302, subdivision 1, is amended to read:​
5.18 Subdivision 1.ACT or SAT college ready score; Minnesota Comprehensive​
5.19Assessment career and college ready benchmarks.(a) A state college or university must​
5.20not require an individual to take a remedial, noncredit course in a subject area if the individual​
5.21has received a college ready ACT or SAT score or met a career and college ready Minnesota​
5.22Comprehensive Assessment benchmark in that subject area. Only the ACT and SAT scores​
5.23an individual received and the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment benchmarks an​
5.24individual met in the previous five years are valid for purposes of this section. Each state​
5.25college and university must post notice of the exemption from remedial course taking on​
5.26its website explaining student course placement requirements.​
5.27 (b) When deciding if an individual is admitted to or if an individual may enroll in a state​
5.28college or university, the state college or university must consider the individual's scores​
5.29on the high school Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments ACT or SAT, in addition to​
5.30other factors determined relevant by the college or university.​
5.31 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for the 2026-2027 school year and later.​
5​Sec. 8.​
S2067-1 1st Engrossment​SF2067 REVISOR CR​ 6.1 Sec. 9. Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 136F.302, subdivision 1a, is amended to read:​
6.2 Subd. 1a.Minnesota comprehensive assessment ACT or SAT career and college​
6.3ready benchmarks scores; remedial education.(a) A state college or university must not​
6.4require an individual to take a remedial, noncredit course in a subject area if the individual​
6.5has received a career and college ready Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment benchmark​
6.6ACT or SAT score in that subject area, consistent with benchmarks established by the​
6.7commissioner of education pursuant to section 120B.305, subdivision 2, paragraph (b).​
6.8 (b) As part of the notification of high school students and their families under section​
6.9120B.305, subdivision 2, paragraph (b), the commissioner shall include a statement that​
6.10students who receive a college ready benchmark score on the high school MCA ACT or​
6.11SAT are not required to take a remedial, noncredit course at a Minnesota state college or​
6.12university in the corresponding subject area.​
6.13 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for the 2026-2027 school year and later.​
6.14 Sec. 10. REPEALER.​
6.15 Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 120B.302, subdivision 2, is repealed.​
6.16 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective for the 2026-2027 school year and later.​
6​Sec. 10.​
S2067-1 1st Engrossment​SF2067 REVISOR CR​ 120B.302 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS; TEST DESIGN.​
Subd. 2.Comprehensive assessment system.The commissioner, with advice from experts​
with appropriate technical qualifications and experience and stakeholders, must include​
state-developed tests in the comprehensive assessment system. State-developed tests administered​
to all students in a subject other than writing must include multiple choice questions.​
1R​
APPENDIX​
Repealed Minnesota Statutes: S2067-1​