1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; allowing local learn and earn 
  1.3             programs to add up to five additional program slots; 
  1.4             providing for a subsequent evaluation of student 
  1.5             outcomes; appropriating money; amending Minnesota 
  1.6             Statutes 2000, section 124D.32, subdivisions 3 and 9.  
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 124D.32, 
  1.9   subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
  1.10     Subd. 3.  [LOCAL PROGRAMS; APPLICATION PROCEDURE; GRANT 
  1.11  AWARDS.] (a) The commissioner shall make grants to eligible 
  1.12  applicants to establish local learn and earn programs.  Each 
  1.13  program shall operate for at least a four-year period.  A local 
  1.14  program shall select its participants from among eligible 
  1.15  students who are entering or are in the ninth grade at the 
  1.16  inception of the program.  A program may not refill a program 
  1.17  slot with another student if a student drops out of the program. 
  1.18  Students selected to participate in the program shall be 
  1.19  considered part of the program class and students who drop out 
  1.20  may return to the program at any time prior to graduation. 
  1.21     (b) A local program may add up to five additional student 
  1.22  slots beyond the number of slots available at the program's 
  1.23  inception.  The commissioner must not collect information about 
  1.24  and must not evaluate the program benefits for the additional 
  1.25  students under subdivision 9. 
  1.26     (c) The commissioner shall establish the application 
  2.1   procedure for awarding grants under this section.  The 
  2.2   commissioner shall begin awarding grants by May 1, 1998. 
  2.3      <b>[EFFECTIVE DATE.]</b> This section is effective the day 
  2.4   following final enactment.  
  2.5      Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 124D.32, 
  2.6   subdivision 9, is amended to read: 
  2.7      Subd. 9.  [EVALUATION AND REPORTS.] (a) Until June 30, 
  2.8   2002, the commissioner shall collect information about 
  2.9   participating students and a demographically similar control 
  2.10  group and shall evaluate the short-term and long-term benefits 
  2.11  participating students receive from the learn and earn 
  2.12  graduation achievement program, based on the outcome measures 
  2.13  specified in subdivision 2, and any other criteria established 
  2.14  by the commissioner as part of the grant application process.  
  2.15  The evaluation must include a statistical comparison of students 
  2.16  participating in the program and the control group.  The 
  2.17  commissioner shall follow participating students and the control 
  2.18  group for a minimum of six years from the start of the program.  
  2.19  The commissioner shall submit a preliminary report to the 
  2.20  governor and the chairs of the senate and house committees 
  2.21  having jurisdiction over education and crime prevention by 
  2.22  December 15, 2001, regarding continuation of the learn and earn 
  2.23  graduation achievement program for participating schools and 
  2.24  expansion of the program to additional schools.  The 
  2.25  commissioner shall submit a final report by December 15, 2003. 
  2.26     (b) Beginning in the 2002-2003 school year and later, 
  2.27  managers of local programs shall evaluate student outcomes, 
  2.28  consistent with the requirements in subdivision 2. 
  2.29     <b>[EFFECTIVE DATE.]</b> This section is effective the day 
  2.30  following final enactment. 
  2.31     Sec. 3.  [APPROPRIATION; LEARN AND EARN PROGRAMS.] 
  2.32     The sum of $2,500,000 is appropriated from the general fund 
  2.33  in fiscal year 2002 to the commissioner of children, families, 
  2.34  and learning for expanding existing learn and earn programs and 
  2.35  beginning new learn and earn programs through program grants and 
  2.36  for evaluating learn and earn program outcomes, consistent with 
  3.1   the requirements under Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.32.  
  3.2   This appropriation is available until June 30, 2003. 
  3.3      <b>[EFFECTIVE DATE.]</b> This section is effective July 1, 2001.