1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; directing the commissioner of education to convene an 
1.3 	advisory task force to consider and recommend a redesign of middle schools; 
1.4 	appropriating money.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. ADVISORY TASK FORCE TO CONSIDER AND RECOMMEND A 
1.7 	REDESIGN OF MIDDLE SCHOOLS.
 1.8 	(a) An advisory task force of qualified experts is established to consider and 
1.9 	recommend to the legislature a redesign of middle schools that at least addresses how 
1.10 	best to:
1.11 	(1) restructure middle school to successfully promote the intellectual and social 
1.12 	development of young adolescent students;
1.13 	(2) maximize the relationships between teachers and young adolescent students 
1.14 	and among young adolescent students to effectively support young adolescent student 
1.15 	achievement;
1.16 	(3) provide world-class mathematics, science, and technology instruction and 
1.17 	curriculum that capitalizes on community-based resources and reflects the learning 
1.18 	characteristics of young adolescent students;
1.19 	(4) implement a research-based educational structure and system that allows all 
1.20 	young adolescent students to succeed;
1.21 	(5) restructure the school calendar to accommodate the needs of all young adolescent 
1.22 	students in meeting applicable academic standards and personal and institutional 
1.23 	expectations; and
2.1 	(6) emphasize the personalization of learning that, among other possibilities, extends 
2.2 	learning opportunities in career and technical and other fields and allows young adolescent 
2.3 	students flexibility in how they complete rigorous academic requirements.
2.4 	(b) The commissioner of education shall appoint members to an advisory task force 
2.5 	on the redesign of middle schools from each of the following entities: school principals; 
2.6 	school administrators; school teachers including teachers teaching career and technical 
2.7 	courses and programs; school counselors; parents of currently enrolled public middle 
2.8 	school students; the state Board of Teaching; the Minnesota School Boards Association; 
2.9 	the Minnesota Education Department; community-based businesses and industries; 
2.10 	and any other representatives of entities the commissioner determines are qualified to 
2.11 	participate. Advisory task force members' terms and other advisory task force matters 
2.12 	are subject to Minnesota Statutes, section 15.059. The advisory task force must submit 
2.13 	its written recommendations under paragraph (a) to the education policy and finance 
2.14 	committees of the legislature by February 15, 2008. The Department of Education must 
2.15 	provide technical and other assistance to the advisory task force upon request.
2.16 	(c) The task force expires February 16, 2008.

2.17 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment.

2.18 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION.
 2.19 	$20,000 in fiscal year 2008 is appropriated from the general fund to the 
2.20 	commissioner of education for the purposes of the advisory task force to recommend a 
2.21 	redesign of middle schools under section 1.

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