Parents United for Public Schools

All dollar figures quoted are for the biennium. All quotes are taken from the 2008-09 Biennial Budget document found at the Minnesota Department of Finance website, under the Education Department heading. 

$291 million

• 2% on the per pupil formula each year of the biennium
   

$35 million (ongoing)

This appropriation continues funding at approximately $26 million a year for 2010 and 2011

• Current law reimburses special ed costs two years in arrears at 68% of special education salaries on a prorated basis. This appropriation will make up by half what the costs are. Special education is increasing at 4.5% annually and this appropriation pays app. 2% annually.  
  

$75 million (ongoing)

This appropriation also allows for $55 million in 2010 and again in 2011

• All high schools must offer one year of post secondary experience for every student, but in order to access funds, schools must comply with all 6 components.

In order to become a 3R School and qualify for an additional $75million, these schools must first comply with the above mandate, and in addition
• Provide College Access Programs for students
• Provide Personal Graduation Plans for each student beginning g in 8th grade
• Have highly qualified teacher and principal leadership—using real time professional development  and the principal has added autonomy and authority to make meaningful decisions
• Provide rigorous and relevant course taking for all students—students have access to accelerated learning opportunities, the curriculum is connected to real world contexts and provides opportunities for service learning
• Uses data for school improvement

$15 million (ongoing)

This appropriation allows for $8 million in 2010 and again in 2011

• Allows for schools to offer “equal access to AP, pre-AP and IB courses and programs” 

$150 million (1 time $)

• The state will provide “annual one–time reward payments” in 2008 and 2009 to schools that receive 3 stars on the State School Report Card

$6 million (ongoing)

This appropriation allows for $4 million in 2010 and again in 2011

• Academies provide technical assistance to schools and profession development to teachers. The MDE will create Request for Proposal that invites regional educational service cooperatives, schools, districts, institutions of higher ed and or private or public education entities to form partnerships to sponsor an academy in each of the following regions of the state: northeast, northwest, southeast, southwest, west central and metro.

$1.5 million (ongoing)

This appropriation allows for $773,000 in 2010 and again in 2011

• Expands the CUE program to meet educator training and recruitment for individuals to “meet the educational needs of the urban school and diverse student populations”

$4 million (ongoing)

This appropriation is a bit different, since it allows for a $2 million annual appropriation for 6 years, so goes beyond the length of the 08-09 budget

• Pilot program to fund a “selected number of districts and schools and evaluate the effectiveness of alternative school calendars for potential statewide policy changes”

• 25 $10,000 grants to local schools or charters to initiate Mandarin Chinese programs or support local schools or charters “that have implemented exemplary foreign language programs to allow them to continue to model and enhance best practices”

$2 million (ongoing)

This appropriation allows for $1 million in 2010 and again in 2011

• Literacy instruction from age three to grade three

$4.4 million (ongoing)

This appropriation allows for $2.2 million in 2010 and again in 2011

• Competitive grant process to regionally deliver assistance to teachers in their first years of teaching.  Grantee must demonstrate funding will be used to increase teacher retention and effectiveness in high need license areas of the state.

$928,000 (ongoing)

This appropriation allows for $565,000 in 2010 and again in 2011

• Allows for students to participate in the Educational Planning and Assessment System. Students can take college readiness and interest assessments in 8th and 10th grade at no cost to them. This is an expansion of the Get Ready, Get Credit initiative of 2005

Testing

$9 million (ongoing)

This appropriation allows for $6.4 million in 2010 and again in 2011

• For the MDE to “establish a comprehensive assessment system that includes increased teacher access to student assessment results” this will also allow for students retakes for the grad test to be done more efficiently.

$5.8 million (ongoing)

This also has an appropriation for $6 million in 2010 and again in 2011

• MCA’s are summative tests and comply with NCLB, but formative tests are those that are more diagnostic and predictive in nature. With this initiative, the MDE would develop an RFP for a company to develop a formative test, aligned with Minnesota’s standards that schools could use throughout the year on a voluntary basis.

$29 million (ongoing)

This appropriation continues at $28 million for 2010 and again in 2011

• Scholarships of up to $4,000 per 4 year old child for qualifying families whose income does not exceed 180% of the federal poverty guidelines to use in MDE approved sites for school readiness.

$407,000 (ongoing)

This appropriation allows for $196,000 in 2010 and again in 2011

• Early Childhood and Family Education programs will have to submit a biennial plan as to how their programs are working to connect with “families representative of their community” The appropriation is to the MDE for administration of this program.

$225,000 (ongoing)

This appropriation allows for $70,000 in 2010 and again in 2011

• Provides for targeted training for programs that do not require teachers to be licensed.  Currently, school readiness, head start and child care programs do not require licensed teachers.

$8.3 million (ongoing)

This appropriation continues with $4 million in 2010 and again in 2011

• Competitive grant program where school districts can apply to provide compensatory instruction that accelerates 4 year olds literacy, language and math skills to school readiness programs, head start and child care centers.

$1 million (ongoing)

This appropriation includes $500 for 2010 and again in 2011

• This initiative is in partnership with “the Governor’s Council on Faith and Community Services, the MDE and local partners” “Grants to faith and community organizations for fatherhood services, implementation of a certificate program for program staff and technical assistance to fathering programs to ensure effective use of resources.”

$38 million (ongoing)

• “With this initiative, Minnesota will develop a set of minimum standards for technology infrastructure and capacity. Once achieved, districts will then use the funds to integrate student technology standard into their curriculum as districts work with the revised Minnesota Academic Standards that are required. Once integrated student technology standards exit within the districts curriculum, districts may the use the dollars to promote a data driven decision making-model fro curriculum and instructional decisions. Finally, districts may use the funds for innovation in student leaning in the classroom or computer lab, as well as professional development in technology. In addition, a portion of the funds will be used to encourage the development and use of online courses.’