1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; providing for scholars of 
  1.3             distinction program expansion and administration; 
  1.4             appropriating money; proposing coding for new law in 
  1.5             Minnesota Statutes, chapter 120B. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  [120B.135] [SCHOLARS OF DISTINCTION PROGRAM 
  1.8   ADMINISTRATION.] 
  1.9      (a) The commissioner shall expand the Minnesota scholars of 
  1.10  distinction program to include mathematics, leadership, and 
  1.11  theater arts in order to nurture and recognize distinguished 
  1.12  achievement by highly motivated students in those subjects.  The 
  1.13  commissioner shall authorize the creation of statewide 
  1.14  coordinating boards to oversee the implementation of the 
  1.15  mathematics, leadership, and theater arts specialty areas for 
  1.16  the program.  Each statewide coordinating board shall include 
  1.17  representatives of kindergarten through grade 12 schools, higher 
  1.18  education, businesses, or others familiar with applying complex 
  1.19  knowledge and skills to real-world problems in that specialty.  
  1.20  Each coordinating board shall manage and implement the program 
  1.21  so that as many kindergarten through grade 12 students as 
  1.22  possible who are willing to commit time, rigorous study, and 
  1.23  dedication to learning the specialty have the opportunity to 
  1.24  participate.  Each coordinating board must establish a statewide 
  1.25  certification panel to determine whether students have met the 
  2.1   requirements for the particular specialty.  The coordinating 
  2.2   boards must provide assistance, if requested, to schools, 
  2.3   community organizations, and other entities wishing to establish 
  2.4   the program.  The coordinating boards are required to seek 
  2.5   permanent funding so that the scholars of distinction program 
  2.6   may be permanently continued in each specialty area. 
  2.7      (b) For each specialty, student participants must be 
  2.8   required to demonstrate mastery of complex subject matter and 
  2.9   apply their knowledge and skills on challenging projects.  
  2.10  Students who earn the scholar of distinction honor shall be 
  2.11  awarded a small scholarship, the amount of which shall be 
  2.12  determined by the coordinating board for the particular 
  2.13  specialty.  A notation identifying the student as a Minnesota 
  2.14  scholar of distinction in a particular specialty must be made on 
  2.15  the transcript of each student who successfully completes the 
  2.16  program. 
  2.17     Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  2.18     $....... is appropriated in fiscal year 2005 from the 
  2.19  general fund to the commissioner of education to fund the 
  2.20  mathematics, leadership, and theater arts coordinating boards 
  2.21  for the statewide implementation of the scholars of distinction 
  2.22  program under Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.135.