1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; establishing a pilot program 
  1.3             for adolescent parenting and prevention support; 
  1.4             establishing eligibility criteria and program 
  1.5             components; appropriating money. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  [MINNESOTA ADOLESCENT PARENTING AND PREVENTION 
  1.8   SUPPORT PILOT PROGRAM.] 
  1.9      Subdivision 1.  [ESTABLISHMENT.] A pilot program is 
  1.10  established to provide school-based, comprehensive 
  1.11  community-linked programs for ensuring the long-term 
  1.12  self-sufficiency of adolescent families and the development and 
  1.13  school readiness of their children.  The commissioner of 
  1.14  children, families, and learning shall award up to seven 
  1.15  adolescent parenting and prevention support pilot grants to 
  1.16  eligible school districts.  To the extent possible, the 
  1.17  commissioner shall award grants to applicants with experience or 
  1.18  demonstrated ability in providing comprehensive, collaborative 
  1.19  community-based services to adolescent parents and their 
  1.20  children.  The commissioner shall award three two-year grants to 
  1.21  districts located in the seven-county metropolitan area, with at 
  1.22  least one grant award to a school district of a city of the 
  1.23  first class and up to four grants to districts located in 
  1.24  greater Minnesota.  
  1.25     Subd. 2.  [GOALS.] The goals of the adolescent parenting 
  2.1   and prevention support pilot program are to: 
  2.2      (1) assist pregnant and parenting adolescents to make 
  2.3   significant gains in school attendance, attainment of state 
  2.4   graduation standards, and acquisition of school to career 
  2.5   skills; 
  2.6      (2) prevent child abuse and neglect by improving the 
  2.7   parenting and communication skills of pregnant and parenting 
  2.8   adolescents; and 
  2.9      (3) improve the outcomes for adolescent parents and their 
  2.10  children in the number of healthy births; repeat pregnancies; 
  2.11  cognitive, social, linguistic, and emotional development; 
  2.12  immunization rates; access to primary health care; and school 
  2.13  readiness. 
  2.14     Subd. 3.  [ELIGIBLE STUDENTS.] The following students are 
  2.15  eligible for support services under the adolescent parenting and 
  2.16  prevention support pilot program: 
  2.17     (1) any student enrolled in a school district with an 
  2.18  approved adolescent parenting and prevention support pilot 
  2.19  program who is age 21 or younger and who is an expectant parent, 
  2.20  custodial parent, or noncustodial parent; and 
  2.21     (2) any child of a student as defined in clause (1) who is 
  2.22  under the age of five and is not yet enrolled in kindergarten. 
  2.23     Subd. 4.  [GRANT APPLICATION.] A school district or group 
  2.24  of school districts may apply for an adolescent parenting and 
  2.25  prevention support pilot program grant to the commissioner of 
  2.26  children, families, and learning.  The application shall include 
  2.27  a detailed description of the pilot program, including a 
  2.28  description of the population to be served by the pilot program, 
  2.29  a description of the community agency or agencies collaborating 
  2.30  with the district to provide support services, an explanation of 
  2.31  how each of the program components will contribute to achieving 
  2.32  program outcomes, the number of pupils to be served by the pilot 
  2.33  program, a detailed budget that demonstrates the capacity to 
  2.34  achieve the program's goals, and a comprehensive evaluation plan 
  2.35  for measuring progress toward achieving the program's goals. 
  2.36     Subd. 5.  [PROGRAM COMPONENTS.] An adolescent parenting and 
  3.1   prevention support pilot program shall include: 
  3.2      (1) a high quality educational program provided in the 
  3.3   least restrictive environment that includes strategies to ensure 
  3.4   access to educational services, including flexible attendance 
  3.5   policies and class scheduling, and grants academic credit for 
  3.6   all work completed; 
  3.7      (2) to the extent possible, collaboration with other 
  3.8   governmental agencies and community-based organizations to 
  3.9   provide on-site support services, including child care; 
  3.10     (3) an individualized learning plan for each eligible 
  3.11  student that includes career goals; 
  3.12     (4) assurance of compliance with requirements of Public Law 
  3.13  Number 92-318, Title IX, prohibiting discrimination against 
  3.14  students due to their pregnant or parenting status; 
  3.15     (5) courses in parent education and life skills; 
  3.16     (6) accountability measures for student performance linked 
  3.17  to graduation standards; 
  3.18     (7) professional development opportunities on adolescents 
  3.19  pregnancy and parenting issues and strategies to achieve 
  3.20  academic success with this student population; 
  3.21     (8) a system to document that adolescent parenting and 
  3.22  prevention support funds were used to provide support services 
  3.23  to eligible students; 
  3.24     (9) a comprehensive assessment of the district's adolescent 
  3.25  pregnancy prevention programs, including a system for collecting 
  3.26  and reporting specific student data, including goals and outcome 
  3.27  measurements; and 
  3.28     (10) a program advisory council, which may consist of an 
  3.29  existing local council. 
  3.30     Subd. 6.  [PROGRAM EVALUATION AND REPORT.] The commissioner 
  3.31  of children, families, and learning shall conduct an evaluation 
  3.32  of the adolescent parenting and prevention support pilot program 
  3.33  following the second year of its implementation.  The 
  3.34  commissioner shall evaluate the program's impact on school 
  3.35  attendance, academic achievement, graduation rates, parenting 
  3.36  skills, health, and other outcomes that may be identified by the 
  4.1   commissioner.  The commissioner shall report on the evaluation 
  4.2   results to the chairs of the children, families, and learning 
  4.3   committees of the legislature by February 15, 2000. 
  4.4      Subd. 7.  [PILOT PROGRAM GRANT AMOUNTS.] The award amount 
  4.5   for each grantee shall be equal to: 
  4.6      (1) 1.3 times the basic revenue according to Minnesota 
  4.7   Statutes, section 124A.22, subdivision 2, for each pupil who is 
  4.8   eligible for support services according to subdivision 3, clause 
  4.9   (1); and 
  4.10     (2) 2.0 times the basic revenue according to Minnesota 
  4.11  Statutes, section 124A.22, subdivision 2, for each pupil who is 
  4.12  eligible for support services according to subdivision 3, clause 
  4.13  (2). 
  4.14     Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  4.15     $6,000,000 in fiscal year 1998 and $6,000,000 in fiscal 
  4.16  year 1999 is appropriated from the general fund to the 
  4.17  department of children, families, and learning for adolescent 
  4.18  parent program grants under section 1.  Any balance in the first 
  4.19  year does not cancel but is available in the second year.