| 1 | 1 | | 1.1 A bill for an act |
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| 2 | 2 | | 1.2 relating to education; establishing a pilot program to improve educational outcomes, |
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| 3 | 3 | | 1.3 safety, and accountability for students with disabilities; requiring reports; |
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| 4 | 4 | | 1.4 appropriating money. |
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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. PILOT PROGRAM TO IMPROVE EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES, |
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| 7 | 7 | | 1.7SAFETY, AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES. |
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| 8 | 8 | | 1.8 Subdivision 1.Establishment.(a) The Department of Education must establish a grant |
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| 9 | 9 | | 1.9program to fund a pilot program starting in the 2025-2026 school year. The program must: |
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| 10 | 10 | | 1.10 (1) improve achievement and educational outcomes for students with disabilities; |
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| 11 | 11 | | 1.11 (2) increase access to general education settings; |
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| 12 | 12 | | 1.12 (3) foster positive school environments; and |
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| 13 | 13 | | 1.13 (4) address service delivery costs. |
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| 14 | 14 | | 1.14 (b) The program must involve collaboration with students, families, community leaders, |
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| 15 | 15 | | 1.15and the Department of Education Special Education Advisory Panel to redesign inclusion |
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| 16 | 16 | | 1.16frameworks that support continuous improvement and measure performance beyond test |
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| 17 | 17 | | 1.17scores. |
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| 18 | 18 | | 1.18 Subd. 2.Selection process.(a) Grantees must be selected based on proposals that: |
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| 19 | 19 | | 1.19 (1) provide a detailed timeline for implementing program goals; |
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| 20 | 20 | | 1.20 (2) describe a plan for how to provide an inclusive educational model and how the model |
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| 21 | 21 | | 1.21can be adapted over time to meet the needs of all students; |
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| 22 | 22 | | 1Section 1. |
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| 23 | 23 | | 25-04338 as introduced03/06/25 REVISOR CR/ES |
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| 24 | 24 | | SENATE |
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| 25 | 25 | | STATE OF MINNESOTA |
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| 26 | 26 | | S.F. No. 2633NINETY-FOURTH SESSION |
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| 27 | 27 | | (SENATE AUTHORS: WESTLIN) |
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| 28 | 28 | | OFFICIAL STATUSD-PGDATE |
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| 29 | 29 | | Introduction and first reading03/17/2025 |
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| 30 | 30 | | Referred to Education Policy 2.1 (3) differentiate between mainstreaming and true inclusion models; |
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| 31 | 31 | | 2.2 (4) address accessibility needs, classroom layouts, sensory accommodations, assistive |
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| 32 | 32 | | 2.3technology, transition supports, appropriate staffing, and innovative ways to present |
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| 33 | 33 | | 2.4classroom curricula, lessons, and special education services; |
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| 34 | 34 | | 2.5 (5) address the overrepresentation of students of color in the most restrictive special |
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| 35 | 35 | | 2.6education settings; |
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| 36 | 36 | | 2.7 (6) identify how students in restrictive settings may be included in the general education |
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| 37 | 37 | | 2.8classroom more in the general education model and what steps will be taken to provide |
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| 38 | 38 | | 2.9special education services in the general education setting whenever feasible; |
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| 39 | 39 | | 2.10 (7) prioritize neurodiversity-affirming practices, trauma-informed practices, student |
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| 40 | 40 | | 2.11connection, and evidence-based developmentally appropriate practices; |
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| 41 | 41 | | 2.12 (8) identify the prevention and early intervention strategies, including de-escalation, that |
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| 42 | 42 | | 2.13may be used to meet the needs of students who become dysregulated; |
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| 43 | 43 | | 2.14 (9) incorporate Universal Design for Learning principles; |
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| 44 | 44 | | 2.15 (10) include measurable outcomes such as student achievement, extracurricular |
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| 45 | 45 | | 2.16participation, restorative justice interventions, number of disciplinary referrals, suspensions |
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| 46 | 46 | | 2.17and expulsions, and family and community engagement; and |
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| 47 | 47 | | 2.18 (11) incorporate staff training on ableism and disability inclusion. |
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| 48 | 48 | | 2.19 (b) The program team must include representatives from the Department of Education, |
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| 49 | 49 | | 2.20school administrators, special education staff, parents, and students. |
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| 50 | 50 | | 2.21 Subd. 3.Reports.(a) By July 1, 2026, the Department of Education must submit a report |
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| 51 | 51 | | 2.22to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction |
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| 52 | 52 | | 2.23over education detailing the pilot program's effectiveness, best practices, and cost-benefit |
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| 53 | 53 | | 2.24analysis, including draft guidelines and professional development recommendations for |
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| 54 | 54 | | 2.25implementing inclusion models. |
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| 55 | 55 | | 2.26 (b) By July 1, 2027, the Department of Education must submit a report to the chairs and |
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| 56 | 56 | | 2.27ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over education |
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| 57 | 57 | | 2.28containing a comprehensive evaluation of the pilot program, including final best practice |
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| 58 | 58 | | 2.29guidelines and assessment tools created to help Individualized Education Programs teams |
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| 59 | 59 | | 2.30identify how to meet the needs of students in general education settings whenever possible |
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| 60 | 60 | | 2.31and appropriate. |
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| 61 | 61 | | 2Section 1. |
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| 62 | 62 | | 25-04338 as introduced03/06/25 REVISOR CR/ES 3.1 Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION. |
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| 63 | 63 | | 3.2 $....... in fiscal year 2026 is appropriated from the general fund to the Department of |
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| 64 | 64 | | 3.3Education to implement the pilot program to improve educational outcomes, safety, and |
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| 65 | 65 | | 3.4accountability for students with disabilities. |
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| 66 | 66 | | 3.5 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective July 1, 2026. |
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| 67 | 67 | | 3Sec. 2. |
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| 68 | 68 | | 25-04338 as introduced03/06/25 REVISOR CR/ES |
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