1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education finance; measuring and reporting elementary and secondary 
1.3 	class sizes; requiring an annual report;amending Minnesota Statutes 2006, 
1.4 	section 120B.36, subdivision 1; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota 
1.5 	Statutes, chapter 126C.
1.6 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.7 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2006, section 120B.36, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
1.8 		Subdivision 1.School performance report cards. (a) The commissioner shall 
1.9 	use objective criteria based on levels of student performance to identify four to six 
1.10 	designations applicable to high and low performing public schools. The objective criteria 
1.11 	shall include at least student academic performance, school safety, student-to-teacher 
1.12 	ratios, and staff characteristics, with a value-added growth component added by the 
1.13 	2006-2007 school year.
1.14 	(b) The commissioner shall develop, annually update, and post on the department 
1.15 	Web site school performance report cards. A school's designation must be clearly stated 
1.16 	on each school performance report card.
1.17 	(c) The commissioner must make available the first school designations and school 
1.18 	performance report cards by November 2003, and during the beginning of each school 
1.19 	year thereafter.
1.20 	(d) A school or district may appeal in writing a designation under this section to the 
1.21 	commissioner within 30 days of receiving the designation. The commissioner's decision 
1.22 	to uphold or deny an appeal is final.
1.23 	(e) School performance report cards are nonpublic data under section 13.02, 
1.24 	subdivision 9, until not later than ten days after the appeal procedure described in 
2.1 	paragraph (d) concludes. The department shall annually post school performance report 
2.2 	cards to its public Web site no later than September 1. 

2.3 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective for report cards issued after July 
2.4 	1, 2007.

2.5 	Sec. 2. [126C.105]  CLASS SIZE REDUCTION MEASUREMENT AND 
2.6 	REPORTING.
2.7 		Subdivision 1.Definition. "Classroom teacher" means a public employee 
2.8 	licensed by the Board of Teaching who is authorized to teach all subjects to children 
2.9 	in any grade in kindergarten through grade 12 and whose duties are full-time regular 
2.10 	classroom instruction, excluding a teacher for whom federal aids are received or for 
2.11 	whom categorical aids are received under section 125A.76 or who is an itinerant teacher 
2.12 	or provides instruction outside of the regular classroom. Except as provided in section 
2.13 	122A.68, subdivision 6, classroom teacher does not include supervisory and support 
2.14 	personnel defined in section 122A.15.
2.15 		Subd. 2.Target class size ratios. The commissioner of education must establish 
2.16 	target class size ratios. In the absence of the commissioner setting different ratios, the 
2.17 	class size ratios are as follows:
2.18 	(1) for students in kindergarten through grade 3, not more than 20 students for 
2.19 	each classroom teacher;
2.20 	(2) for students in grades 4 through 6, not more than 22 students for each classroom 
2.21 	teacher;
2.22 	(3) for students in grades 7 through 9 in English, mathematics, science, and social 
2.23 	studies classes, not more than 25 students for each classroom teacher;
2.24 	(4) for students in grades 10 through 12 in English, mathematics, science, and social 
2.25 	studies classes, not more than 28 students for each classroom teacher; and
2.26 	(5) for students in grades 7 through 12, in classrooms that are designated as 
2.27 	laboratory classrooms, not more than 24 students for each classroom teacher.
2.28 		Subd. 3.District-by-district class size information. The commissioner must 
2.29 	collect the necessary data from school districts to determine each district's class size ratios, 
2.30 	compare those ratios to the target class size ratios established under subdivision 2, and 
2.31 	post the results on the department's Web site.
2.32 		Subd. 4.Report. The commissioner must submit an annual report to the education 
2.33 	committees of the legislature by January 15. The report must:
2.34 	(1) document the class size ratios for each school district;
2.35 	(2) describe the gap between the actual class sizes and the target class sizes;
3.1 	(3) estimate the statewide aid cost necessary to fund the class size gap; and
3.2 	(4) suggest recommendations for achieving the targeted class size ratios.

3.3 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2007.