1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; establishing a career and technical education advisory task 
1.3 	force for improving student outcomes in grades 11 to 14.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION ADVISORY TASK 
1.6 	FORCE.
 1.7 		Subdivision 1.Recommendations. (a) A career and technical education advisory 
1.8 	task force is established to make recommendations to the Minnesota legislature for 
1.9 	improving (1) student outcomes in grades 11 to 14, (2) alignment between secondary and 
1.10 	postsecondary education programs serving students in grades 11 to 14, (3) alignment 
1.11 	between education programs for students in grades 11 to 14 and Minnesota's workforce 
1.12 	needs, and (4) the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of Minnesota's public secondary and 
1.13 	postsecondary programs serving students in grades 11 to 14. Advisory task force members 
1.14 	must examine the role of education providers, employers, policy makers, and other 
1.15 	interested stakeholders in realizing these improvements.
1.16 	(b) In developing recommendations for improving student outcomes, advisory task 
1.17 	force members must at least consider how to (1) better inform students about career options, 
1.18 	occupational trends, and educational paths leading to viable and rewarding careers, (2) 
1.19 	develop and adapt as needed an education and work plan for each student aligned with the 
1.20 	student's personal and professional interests, abilities, skills, and aspirations, (3) monitor, 
1.21 	assess, and increase students' achievement levels in high school, (4) better prepare high 
1.22 	school students for postsecondary education meeting their career goals, and (5) increase the 
1.23 	rates at which students complete a postsecondary certificate, industry license, or degree.
2.1 	(c) In developing recommendations for better aligning Minnesota's secondary and 
2.2 	postsecondary education programs for students in grades 11 to 14, advisory task force 
2.3 	members must at least consider how to (1) improve monitoring of high school students' 
2.4 	progress to better target interventions and support and remove the need for remedial 
2.5 	instruction, (2) better align high school courses and expectations and postsecondary 
2.6 	credit-bearing courses, (3) better align high school standards and assessments with 
2.7 	postsecondary readiness measures and entrance requirements, and (4) increase student 
2.8 	persistence and completion rates.
2.9 	(d) In developing recommendations for better aligning education programs for 
2.10 	students in grades 11 to 14 and the preparation necessary to meet Minnesota's workforce 
2.11 	needs, advisory task force members must at least consider how to (1) more closely 
2.12 	align state kindergarten through grade 12 academic standards, high school graduation 
2.13 	requirements, and the expectations of postsecondary institutions and Minnesota employers, 
2.14 	(2) enable more high school students to pursue postsecondary education and training 
2.15 	leading to a certificate, industry license, or degree in a high-demand and high-reward 
2.16 	field, (3) reduce the gap between the demand for and preparation of a skilled Minnesota 
2.17 	workforce, and (4) provide graduates of two-year and four-year postsecondary institutions 
2.18 	with the foundational skills needed for civic engagement, ongoing employment, and 
2.19 	continuous learning.
2.20 	(e) In developing recommendations for better aligning efficient and cost-effective 
2.21 	secondary and postsecondary programs for students in grades 11 to 14, advisory task force 
2.22 	members must at least consider how to (1) give high school students earlier and increased 
2.23 	access to postsecondary credit-bearing courses, and (2) provide targeted interventions and 
2.24 	support to help high school students avoid postsecondary remedial instruction.
2.25 	(f) In developing recommendations under this subdivision, advisory task force 
2.26 	members are encouraged to consider how to structurally redesign secondary and 
2.27 	postsecondary education to (1) align Minnesota's statewide high school assessment system 
2.28 	with measures of readiness for postsecondary education, (2) provide targeted intervention 
2.29 	and support to students who are at risk of not graduating or off track for graduating from 
2.30 	high school, (3) increase and accelerate opportunities for secondary students to earn 
2.31 	postsecondary credits leading to a certificate, industry license, or degree, and (4) better 
2.32 	understand students' personal and professional interests, abilities, skills, and aspirations 
2.33 	and align that understanding with postsecondary education and careers.
2.34 		Subd. 2.Task force membership and operation. (a) Advisory task force 
2.35 	members must include representatives of the following entities selected by that entity: 
2.36 	the Minnesota Association of Career and Technical Administrators; the Minnesota 
3.1 	Association for Career and Technical Education; University of Minnesota and Minnesota 
3.2 	State Colleges and Universities faculty working to develop career and technical educators 
3.3 	in Minnesota; the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education; the 
3.4 	Minnesota Department of Education; the Minnesota Department of Employment and 
3.5 	Economic Development; the Minnesota Board of Teaching; the Minnesota Association of 
3.6 	Colleges for Teacher Education; and any other representatives selected by the task force 
3.7 	members. The education commissioner, or the commissioner's designee, must convene the 
3.8 	task force. Task force members are not eligible for compensation or reimbursement for 
3.9 	expenses related to task force activities.
3.10 	(b) The education commissioner, upon request, must provide technical assistance to 
3.11 	the task force.
3.12 	(c) The task force must submit its recommendations under this section to the 
3.13 	legislative committees with jurisdiction over kindergarten through grade 12 education by 
3.14 	February 15, 2014.

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