1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to adult education; providing a set aside for 
  1.3             adult education support services; appropriating money; 
  1.4             amending Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 124D.52, 
  1.5             subdivision 2; repealing Minnesota Statutes 1998, 
  1.6             section 124D.53, subdivision 6; Laws 1997, chapter 
  1.7             162, article 2, section 32. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 124D.52, 
  1.10  subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  1.11     Subd. 2.  [PROGRAM APPROVAL.] (a) To receive aid under this 
  1.12  section, a district, a consortium of districts, or a private 
  1.13  nonprofit organization must submit an application by June 1 
  1.14  describing the program, on a form provided by the department.  
  1.15  The program must be approved by the commissioner according to 
  1.16  the following criteria:  
  1.17     (1) how the needs of different levels of learning will be 
  1.18  met; 
  1.19     (2) for continuing programs, an evaluation of results; 
  1.20     (3) anticipated number and education level of participants; 
  1.21     (4) coordination with other resources and services; 
  1.22     (5) participation in a consortium, if any, and money 
  1.23  available from other participants; 
  1.24     (6) management and program design; 
  1.25     (7) volunteer training and use of volunteers; 
  1.26     (8) staff development services; 
  2.1      (9) program sites and schedules; and 
  2.2      (10) program expenditures that qualify for aid.  
  2.3      (b) The commissioner may grant adult basic education funds 
  2.4   to a private, nonprofit organization to provide services that 
  2.5   are not offered by a district or that are supplemental to a 
  2.6   district's program.  The A program provided under this provision 
  2.7   must be approved and funded according to the same criteria used 
  2.8   for district programs under paragraph (c). 
  2.9      (c) The commissioner may use up to four percent of the 
  2.10  annual state appropriation for adult basic education for: 
  2.11     (1) the department to conduct statewide professional 
  2.12  development, support, and resource services including but not 
  2.13  limited to: 
  2.14     (i) staff training to support programs of English as a 
  2.15  second language, family literacy, GED, adult diploma, workplace 
  2.16  literacy, and citizenship; 
  2.17     (ii) training designed to enhance linkages with related 
  2.18  programs including welfare reform and employment opportunities; 
  2.19     (iii) services to support program accountability including 
  2.20  learner assessment training, work skill assessment and training, 
  2.21  program evaluation, and electronic reporting system development; 
  2.22  and 
  2.23     (iv) resource services and training support to enhance the 
  2.24  delivery of adult basic education including the use of 
  2.25  technology in the classroom, Internet use, resource material 
  2.26  dissemination, and best practice identification and promotion; 
  2.27  and 
  2.28     (2) a grant to nonprofit organizations to provide statewide 
  2.29  support services, including but not limited to: 
  2.30     (i) training literacy volunteers; 
  2.31     (ii) coordinating volunteer literacy programs in schools 
  2.32  and other locations; 
  2.33     (iii) operating a toll-free telephone referral service for 
  2.34  adult students and volunteers; and 
  2.35     (iv) promoting literacy awareness. 
  2.36     In making a grant under this paragraph, the commissioner 
  3.1   must consider an organization's prior experience and capacity to 
  3.2   provide services throughout Minnesota. 
  3.3      (d) Adult basic education programs may be approved under 
  3.4   this subdivision for up to five years.  Five-year program 
  3.5   approval must be granted to an applicant who has demonstrated 
  3.6   the capacity to: 
  3.7      (1) offer comprehensive learning opportunities and support 
  3.8   service choices appropriate for and accessible to adults at all 
  3.9   basic skill need levels; 
  3.10     (2) provide a participatory and experiential learning 
  3.11  approach based on the strengths, interests, and needs of each 
  3.12  adult, that enables adults with basic skill needs to: 
  3.13     (i) identify, plan for, and evaluate their own progress 
  3.14  toward achieving their defined educational and occupational 
  3.15  goals; 
  3.16     (ii) master the basic academic reading, writing, and 
  3.17  computational skills, as well as the problem-solving, decision 
  3.18  making, interpersonal effectiveness, and other life and learning 
  3.19  skills they need to function effectively in a changing society; 
  3.20     (iii) locate and be able to use the health, governmental, 
  3.21  and social services and resources they need to improve their own 
  3.22  and their families' lives; and 
  3.23     (iv) continue their education, if they desire, to at least 
  3.24  the level of secondary school completion, with the ability to 
  3.25  secure and benefit from continuing education that will enable 
  3.26  them to become more employable, productive, and responsible 
  3.27  citizens; 
  3.28     (3) plan, coordinate, and develop cooperative agreements 
  3.29  with community resources to address the needs that the adults 
  3.30  have for support services, such as transportation, flexible 
  3.31  course scheduling, convenient class locations, and child care; 
  3.32     (4) collaborate with business, industry, labor unions, and 
  3.33  employment-training agencies, as well as with family and 
  3.34  occupational education providers, to arrange for resources and 
  3.35  services through which adults can attain economic 
  3.36  self-sufficiency; 
  4.1      (5) provide sensitive and well trained adult education 
  4.2   personnel who participate in local, regional, and statewide 
  4.3   adult basic education staff development events to master 
  4.4   effective adult learning and teaching techniques; 
  4.5      (6) participate in regional adult basic education peer 
  4.6   program reviews and evaluations; and 
  4.7      (7) submit accurate and timely performance and fiscal 
  4.8   reports.  
  4.9      Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATIONS.] 
  4.10     Subdivision 1.  [DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN, FAMILIES, AND 
  4.11  LEARNING.] The sums indicated in this section are appropriated 
  4.12  from the general fund to the department of children, families, 
  4.13  and learning for the fiscal years designated. 
  4.14     Subd. 2.  [ADULT BASIC EDUCATION AID.] For adult basic 
  4.15  education aid according to Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.53: 
  4.16       $21,113,000     .....     2000 
  4.17       $24,093,000     .....     2001 
  4.18     The 2000 appropriation includes $837,000 for 1999 and 
  4.19  $19,002,000 for 2000. 
  4.20     The 2001 appropriation includes $2,111,300 for 2000 and 
  4.21  $21,684,000 for 2001. 
  4.22     Of the appropriations, up to $2,500,000 is for one-time 
  4.23  appropriations for the following purposes: 
  4.24     (1) up to $500,000 each year for grants to programs to 
  4.25  purchase technology for adult basic education programs and to 
  4.26  implement technology into the adult basic education curriculum; 
  4.27     (2) up to $500,000 each year for grants to programs that 
  4.28  serve adults with severe physical, sensory, and neurological 
  4.29  impairments and severe learning disabilities to purchase 
  4.30  equipment and for specialized teacher training; 
  4.31     (3) up to $250,000 each year for the citizenship promotion 
  4.32  program under Laws 1997, chapter 162, article 2, section 29. 
  4.33     Subd. 3.  [ADULT GRADUATION AID.] For adult graduation aid 
  4.34  according to Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.54: 
  4.35       $4,264,000     .....     2000 
  4.36       $4,852,000     .....     2001 
  5.1      The 2000 appropriation includes $258,000 for 1999 and 
  5.2   $4,006,000 for 2000. 
  5.3      The 2001 appropriation includes $445,000 for 2000 and 
  5.4   $4,407,000 for 2001.  
  5.5      Sec. 3.  [REPEALER.] 
  5.6      (a) Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 124D.53, subdivision 
  5.7   6, is repealed. 
  5.8      (b) Laws 1997, chapter 162, article 2, section 32, is 
  5.9   repealed. 
  5.10     Sec. 4.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  5.11     Section 3, paragraph (a), is effective for aid payable for 
  5.12  fiscal year 2000 and later.  Section 3, paragraph (b), is 
  5.13  effective the day following final enactment.