1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; providing for on-line learning; 
  1.3             amending Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 126C.05, 
  1.4             subdivision 15. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2000, section 126C.05, 
  1.7   subdivision 15, is amended to read: 
  1.8      Subd. 15.  [LEARNING YEAR PUPIL UNITS.] (a) When a pupil is 
  1.9   enrolled in a learning year program under section 124D.128, an 
  1.10  area learning center under sections 123A.05 and 123A.06, an 
  1.11  alternative program approved by the commissioner, or a contract 
  1.12  alternative program under section 124D.68, subdivision 3, 
  1.13  paragraph (d), or subdivision 3a, for more than 1,020 hours in a 
  1.14  school year for a secondary student, more than 935 hours in a 
  1.15  school year for an elementary student, or more than 425 hours in 
  1.16  a school year for a kindergarten student without a disability, 
  1.17  that pupil may be counted as more than one pupil in average 
  1.18  daily membership.  The amount in excess of one pupil must be 
  1.19  determined by the ratio of the number of hours of instruction 
  1.20  provided to that pupil in excess of:  (i) the greater of 1,020 
  1.21  hours or the number of hours required for a full-time secondary 
  1.22  pupil in the district to 1,020 for a secondary pupil; (ii) the 
  1.23  greater of 935 hours or the number of hours required for a 
  1.24  full-time elementary pupil in the district to 935 for an 
  1.25  elementary pupil in grades 1 through 6; and (iii) the greater of 
  2.1   425 hours or the number of hours required for a full-time 
  2.2   kindergarten student without a disability in the district to 425 
  2.3   for a kindergarten student without a disability.  Hours that 
  2.4   occur after the close of the instructional year in June shall be 
  2.5   attributable to the following fiscal year.  A kindergarten 
  2.6   student must not be counted as more than 1.2 pupils in average 
  2.7   daily membership under this subdivision. 
  2.8      (b)(i) To receive general education revenue for a pupil in 
  2.9   an alternative program that has an independent study component, 
  2.10  a district must meet the requirements in this paragraph.  The 
  2.11  district must develop, with the pupil, a continual learning plan 
  2.12  for the pupil.  A district must allow a minor pupil's parent or 
  2.13  guardian to participate in developing the plan, if the parent or 
  2.14  guardian wants to participate.  The plan must identify the 
  2.15  learning experiences and expected outcomes needed for 
  2.16  satisfactory credit for the year and for graduation.  The plan 
  2.17  must be updated each year.  Each school district that has a 
  2.18  state-approved public alternative program must reserve revenue 
  2.19  in an amount equal to at least 90 percent of the district 
  2.20  average general education revenue per pupil unit less 
  2.21  compensatory revenue per pupil unit times the number of pupil 
  2.22  units generated by students attending a state-approved public 
  2.23  alternative program.  The amount of reserved revenue available 
  2.24  under this subdivision may only be spent for program costs 
  2.25  associated with the state-approved public alternative program.  
  2.26  Compensatory revenue must be allocated according to section 
  2.27  126C.15, subdivision 2. 
  2.28     (ii) General education revenue for a pupil in an approved 
  2.29  alternative program without an independent study component must 
  2.30  be prorated for a pupil participating for less than a full year, 
  2.31  or its equivalent.  Each school district that has a 
  2.32  state-approved public alternative program must reserve revenue 
  2.33  in an amount equal to at least 90 percent of the district 
  2.34  average general education revenue per pupil unit less 
  2.35  compensatory revenue per pupil unit times the number of pupil 
  2.36  units generated by students attending a state-approved public 
  3.1   alternative program.  The amount of reserved revenue available 
  3.2   under this subdivision may only be spent for program costs 
  3.3   associated with the state-approved public alternative program.  
  3.4   Compensatory revenue must be allocated according to section 
  3.5   126C.15, subdivision 2.  
  3.6      (iii) General education revenue for a pupil in an approved 
  3.7   alternative program that has an independent study component must 
  3.8   be paid for each hour of teacher contact time and each hour of 
  3.9   independent study time completed toward a credit or graduation 
  3.10  standards necessary for graduation.  Average daily membership 
  3.11  for a pupil shall equal the number of hours of teacher contact 
  3.12  time and independent study time divided by 1,020. 
  3.13     (iv) For an alternative program having an independent study 
  3.14  component, the commissioner shall require a description of the 
  3.15  courses in the program, the kinds of independent study involved, 
  3.16  the expected learning outcomes of the courses, and the means of 
  3.17  measuring student performance against the expected outcomes.  
  3.18     (v) For fiscal year 2002 only, a pupil enrolled in a 
  3.19  Web-based learning program offered by a school district or a 
  3.20  charter school under the supervision of a teacher with a 
  3.21  Minnesota license must be counted as a learning year pupil unit 
  3.22  according to this subdivision.  The course of study must be 
  3.23  approved by the commissioner for alignment with the state 
  3.24  graduation standards. 
  3.25     <b>[EFFECTIVE DATE.]</b> This section is effective for revenue for 
  3.26  fiscal year 2002. 
  3.27     Sec. 2.  [DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN, FAMILIES, AND LEARNING; 
  3.28  ON-LINE LEARNING REPORT.] 
  3.29     By February 1, 2002, the commissioner of children, 
  3.30  families, and learning shall report to the education committees 
  3.31  of the legislature recommendations regarding on-line learning.  
  3.32  The report shall include: 
  3.33     (1) a review of Minnesota laws that affect on-line 
  3.34  learning, including funding laws and teacher licensure laws; 
  3.35     (2) an analysis of the feasibility and desirability of 
  3.36  establishing a virtual high school based on the state graduation 
  4.1   standards; 
  4.2      (3) recommendations for commissioner review and approval of 
  4.3   on-line learning programs; and 
  4.4      (4) other recommendations that foster quality 
  4.5   implementation of on-line learning in Minnesota schools.