1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to education; providing for an international baccalaureate pilot program 
1.3 	across all grades of a school district; appropriating money.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE PILOT PROGRAM.
 1.6 		Subdivision 1.Definitions. The definitions in this subdivision apply to this section.
1.7 	(a) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of the Department of Education.
1.8 	(b) "Instructional year" is one year of full-time instruction under the IB program 
1.9 	for a given grade level.
1.10 	(c) "International baccalaureate" or "IB" means an academic curriculum approved 
1.11 	by the International Baccalaureate Organization.
1.12 	(d) "Pilot program" means a research and evaluation project examining an IB 
1.13 	program operated at the elementary and secondary level and measuring the effect of this 
1.14 	integrated curriculum on student learning.
1.15 	(e) "School district" means Independent School District No. 286, Brooklyn Center.
1.16 		Subd. 2.Purpose. The purpose of this section is to provide funding for a five-year 
1.17 	pilot program in a district with an established IB program to assess the benefits of 
1.18 	implementing IB programs across all grade levels of an entire district and to measure its 
1.19 	effectiveness in improving student performance and academic achievement.
1.20 		Subd. 3.Pilot project plan. (a) The school district must file a plan with the 
1.21 	commissioner for introducing the IB programs into all grades in the district, including a 
1.22 	detailed cost analysis, schedule of preparatory activities, in-service for teachers, and 
1.23 	curriculum and instructional materials.  The plan must include the costs for startup and 
2.1 	annual operation, instructional goals, implementation plan, learning outcomes, and 
2.2 	timelines for achieving this implementation.
2.3 	(b) Upon approval of the implementation and evaluation plan and budget by the 
2.4 	school board and the commissioner, the commissioner shall authorize payment of funds to 
2.5 	the district in an amount up to the annual limit of the appropriation.
2.6 	(c) Funds received under this section from any source may not be used for unrelated 
2.7 	curriculum, instruction or operating expense purposes, or capital improvements.
2.8 		Subd. 4.Reporting requirements. (a) By September 1 of each instructional year 
2.9 	following introduction of the curriculum and for the duration of the pilot program, the 
2.10 	school district must report to the commissioner and the public on the funds expended, 
2.11 	performance level achieved by students in the program, and overall progress made toward 
2.12 	accomplishing the goals of the program.
2.13 	(b) At the completion of the final year of the pilot program, a comprehensive 
2.14 	assessment of the success of the project must be prepared with the assistance of the 
2.15 	Department of Education and provided to the house of representatives and senate 
2.16 	committees having jurisdiction over kindergarten through grade 12 education.

2.17 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION.
 2.18 	$....... is appropriated in fiscal year 2008 from the general fund to the commissioner 
2.19 	of education for a grant for the purposes of section 1.