Bill Would Require Students be Tested for College, Career Readiness

Sen. Chuck Wiger co-sponosored a bill introduced last week that would require that high school students be tested for college and career readiness, as well as algebra, biology, reading and writing skills.

The legislation, S.F. 605, adds to current testing requirements which cover language arts and math skills.

The new testing requirements would apply to students entering eighth grade in the 2012-2013  school year and beyond, according to the bill text.

“It gets right to the heart of, ‘What are the expectations that we have for a high school graduate?’ We want them to be college- or career-ready,” Wiger said. “It’s very important legislation.”

The bill also provides for an Assessment Advisory Committee to develop alternatives by which students could meet standards such as getting a “college readiness” score on the ACT or SAT.

Wiger (DFL—District 55), of Maplewood, said he expects to get a hearing on the bill once the Legislature has passed its budget bills—in late March or early April.

 Here’s what’s happened this past week with other bills authored or co-authored by your legislators:

Rep. Nora Slawik—Co-sponsored a bill that would create a school district levy for early childhood programs. HF891, introduced March 7.

Rep. Nora Slawik—Co-sponsored a bill that would appropriate $16.2 million in both 2012 and 2013 from the parks and trails fund for metropolitan regional parks. HF898, introduced March 7.

Rep. Nora Slawik—Co-sponsored a bill that modifies the requirements for special family day care homes. HF912,  introduced March 7.

Rep. Nora Slawik—Introduced a bill that continues the implementation of a quality rating and improvement system for child care. HF913, introduced March 7.

Sen. Chuck Wiger—Co-sponsored a bill that modifies tax rates on lawful gambling such as pull-tabs and Bingo. SF702, introduced March 10.

Sen. Chuck Wiger—Co-sponsored a bill that would require all high school students to take at least one half credit of classes through postsecondary enrollment options, International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement or work experience programs. SF750, introduced March 14.

Sen. Chuck Wiger—Introduced a bill that would appropriate $50,000 in bonding money to the Oakdale veterans memorial project. SF808, introduced March 14.

Sen. Chuck Wiger—Co-sponsored a bill that would lift a current requirement that 20 percent of payments received for school trust lands go to the minerals management account. SF809,  introduced March 14.

Sen. Chuck Wiger—Co-sponsored a bill that would create an independent authority to manage and administer Minnesota’s permanent school trust lands. SF810, introduced March 14.

 Editor's Note: Capitol Review is a weekly look at what your state legislators are doing at the Minnesota Capitol—how they're voting, the bills they're writing and the issues they're getting behind. Come back to Oakdale Patch every Monday for a new Capitol Review.