1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to education; providing for an assessment of 
  1.3             the need for school counselors; appropriating money 
  1.4             for school-to-work pilots, expanding Upward Bound 
  1.5             programs, and enhancing post-secondary planning 
  1.6             efforts. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  [COUNSELOR ASSESSMENT.] 
  1.9      The department of children, families, and learning, in 
  1.10  consultation with affected groups, shall conduct an assessment 
  1.11  of the need for expanding the number of counselors in school 
  1.12  districts.  As part of the assessment, the department shall 
  1.13  consider recommended ratios and the costs of meeting these, 
  1.14  alternative strategies for collaboration to provide counseling 
  1.15  services to pupils especially in small districts, mechanisms to 
  1.16  strengthen collaboration between school districts and local 
  1.17  colleges and universities in providing information and 
  1.18  experience to pupils, and suggestions for meeting the needs of 
  1.19  pupils for counseling that is focused on academic and career 
  1.20  needs and planning.  The department shall report its findings 
  1.21  and recommendations to the education committees of the house and 
  1.22  senate as part of its 2000-2001 biennial budget request. 
  1.23     Sec. 2.  [PILOT PROGRAMS; APPROPRIATION.] 
  1.24     $....... is appropriated from the general fund in fiscal 
  1.25  year 1999 to the department of children, families, and learning 
  1.26  to establish eight pilot programs for summer school-to-work 
  2.1   programs.  The programs shall use the summer period to increase 
  2.2   options for pupils to be involved in work opportunities that are 
  2.3   integrated with their education and that can assist the pupils 
  2.4   in developing career experience.  Each district operating a 
  2.5   pilot program shall receive $50,000 to run the program for two 
  2.6   summers.  The department shall ensure that the pilot programs 
  2.7   are awarded to a variety of districts with two in the northern 
  2.8   part of the state, two in the southern part of the state, two in 
  2.9   the urban metro area, and two in the suburban metro area.  The 
  2.10  department shall report to the 2000 legislature on the success 
  2.11  of using summers to give pupils intensive school-to-work 
  2.12  experiences. 
  2.13     Sec. 3.  [UPWARD BOUND; APPROPRIATION.] 
  2.14     (a) $....... is appropriated from the general fund in 
  2.15  fiscal year 1999 to the board of trustees of the Minnesota state 
  2.16  colleges and universities to supplement the federal 
  2.17  appropriation to each existing Upward Bound program on its 
  2.18  campuses that is directed toward assisting secondary students to 
  2.19  remain enrolled in school and make the transition to college.  
  2.20  The appropriation is intended to expand the number of students 
  2.21  who are served by each program. 
  2.22     (b) $....... is appropriated from the general fund in 
  2.23  fiscal year 1999 to the board of regents of the University of 
  2.24  Minnesota to supplement the federal appropriation to each 
  2.25  existing Upward Bound program on its campuses that is directed 
  2.26  toward assisting secondary students to remain enrolled in school 
  2.27  and make the transition to college.  The appropriation is 
  2.28  intended to expand the number of students who are served by each 
  2.29  program. 
  2.30     (c) $....... is appropriated from the general fund in 
  2.31  fiscal year 1999 to the higher education services office to 
  2.32  supplement the federal appropriation to each existing Upward 
  2.33  Bound program on a Minnesota private college campus that is 
  2.34  directed toward assisting secondary students to remain enrolled 
  2.35  in school and make the transition to college.  The appropriation 
  2.36  is intended to expand the number of students who are served by 
  3.1   each program. 
  3.2      Sec. 4.  [PROJECT INFORM; APPROPRIATION.] 
  3.3      (a) $....... is appropriated from the general fund in 
  3.4   fiscal year 1999 to the board of regents of the University of 
  3.5   Minnesota to expand and enhance the Project Inform program.  The 
  3.6   appropriation is intended to ensure that students in grades 7 
  3.7   through 12 and their families, especially in schools that do not 
  3.8   have counselors, are provided with information about 
  3.9   post-secondary opportunities necessary to plan their high school 
  3.10  curriculum, choose colleges, and complete applications for 
  3.11  admissions and financial aid.  It is the intention of the 
  3.12  legislature that the university coordinate this program, but 
  3.13  that it be in cooperation and conjunction with the Minnesota 
  3.14  state colleges and universities.