1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; establishing gifted and 
  1.3             talented grants; establishing content standards 
  1.4             assessment grants; requiring designation of a gifted 
  1.5             and talented resource person; appropriating money. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  [GIFTED AND TALENTED GRANTS.] 
  1.8      Subdivision 1.  [ESTABLISHMENT.] Gifted and talented grants 
  1.9   are established to provide access to an appropriate program for 
  1.10  students identified as gifted or talented.  A school district or 
  1.11  any group of school districts must use the grants to establish a 
  1.12  process for identifying gifted and talented students, offer 
  1.13  access to challenging learning experiences for students in 
  1.14  kindergarten through grade 12, and provide for staff development 
  1.15  in meeting the learning needs of gifted and talented students. 
  1.16     Subd. 2.  [ELIGIBILITY; CRITERIA.] An applicant for a 
  1.17  gifted and talented grant must be a school district or any group 
  1.18  of school districts.  The commissioner of children, families, 
  1.19  and learning, a representative of the alliance of the Minnesota 
  1.20  educators of the gifted and talented, a representative of the 
  1.21  Minnesota council of the gifted and talented, and a 
  1.22  representative of the challenge task force shall establish the 
  1.23  criteria for awarding grants for appropriate programs. 
  1.24     Subd. 3.  [APPLICATION.] A school district or any group of 
  1.25  school districts must submit an application to the commissioner 
  2.1   of children, families, and learning in the form and manner the 
  2.2   commissioner establishes. 
  2.3      Subd. 4.  [GRANT AWARDS.] A school district or any group of 
  2.4   districts may receive a grant in the amount of $....... per 
  2.5   pupil.  The grant recipient must match one local dollar for 
  2.6   every state dollar received.  The local match may include in 
  2.7   kind contributions. 
  2.8      Sec. 2.  [CONTENT STANDARDS ASSESSMENT GRANTS.] 
  2.9      The commissioner of children, families, and learning shall 
  2.10  establish a process to initiate a grant program for a school 
  2.11  district or any group of school districts to provide assessments 
  2.12  for all 62 content standards of the profiles of learning.  A 
  2.13  school district or any group of school districts may receive a 
  2.14  grant in the amount of $....... per pupil for content standards 
  2.15  assessments. 
  2.16     Sec. 3.  [COMMISSIONER OF CHILDREN, FAMILIES, AND 
  2.17  LEARNING.] 
  2.18     The commissioner of children, families, and learning shall 
  2.19  designate a staff member as a resource person for gifted and 
  2.20  talented programs to provide assistance to parents and school 
  2.21  districts. 
  2.22     Sec. 4.  [APPROPRIATIONS.] 
  2.23     Subdivision 1.  [DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN, FAMILIES, AND 
  2.24  LEARNING.] The sums indicated in this section are appropriated 
  2.25  from the general fund to the commissioner of children, families, 
  2.26  and learning for the fiscal years designated. 
  2.27     Subd. 2.  [GIFTED AND TALENTED GRANTS.] For grants for 
  2.28  gifted and talented programs according to section 1: 
  2.29       $.......     .....     1998
  2.30       $.......     .....     1999
  2.31     Any balance in the first year does not cancel but is 
  2.32  available in the second year. 
  2.33     Subd. 3.  [CONTENT STANDARDS ASSESSMENT GRANTS.] For 
  2.34  content standards assessment grants according to section 2: 
  2.35       $.......     .....     1999
  2.36     Sec. 5.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  3.1      Sections 1 to 4 are effective July 1, 1997.