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HF 1589

Academic acceleration pilot program established, report required, and money appropriated.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Ben Bakeberg and 3 co-sponsors

A six-district pilot automatic-enrolls eligible students into AP/advanced courses with supports, funding for training, tutoring, and data reporting to inform potential statewide ex

Author added Gottfried
#education-k-12
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Bill Summary · HF 1589

Summary of HF 1589 (2025-2026) – Academic acceleration pilot program

Purpose and intent

  • Establish a pilot program to increase access to advanced coursework for Minnesota students.
  • Implemented in six school districts or charter schools during the 2026-2027 to 2028-2029 school years.
  • Aims to expand participation in advanced coursework (AP, postsecondary enrollment options/concurrent enrollment, or honors) and to inform potential statewide expansion through a final report and recommendations.

Key definitions

  • Advanced coursework: includes Advanced Placement (AP), postsecondary enrollment options including concurrent enrollment, or honors courses.
  • Participant: a school district or charter school selected to participate in the pilot.

Automatic enrollment provisions

  • Participants must adopt an automatic enrollment policy at one or more school sites.
  • Eligibility triggers automatic enrollment in advanced coursework for language arts, mathematics, or science if:
    • Student meets or exceeds the state standard on the relevant eighth-grade or high school statewide assessment, or
    • Student earned the highest grade in the preceding year in the applicable subject.
  • Automatic enrollment aligns with the student’s assessed content areas; parents must be offered an opt-out and an alternative course/program.

Participation requirements for districts/charter schools

Participants must:
1) Prioritize recruiting teachers of color with training to teach AP or to teach courses for postsecondary credit, or provide opportunities to obtain training/credits at no cost.
2) Notify parents/guardians at least two weeks before the school year starts about automatic enrollment, benefits of advanced coursework, the district policy, and available dual credit/AP pathways; notices must be in the district’s three most common languages.
3) Identify tutoring and other academic supports for students in advanced coursework.
4) Collect and report disaggregated data to the commissioner, including:
- Eligibility, enrollment, opt-outs, course completion, AP exam participation and passing status, etc., by race/ethnicity, free/reduced-price meal eligibility, and special education status.

Application process and participant selection

  • Districts must apply to participate, describing how state grant funds would expand access to advanced coursework.
  • The commissioner must notify selected participants by January 1, 2026.
  • Rollout considerations:
    • At least one participant must have a high percentage of American Indian students.
    • Selection should represent urban, suburban, nonurban districts, and charter schools.
    • Consider current availability and participation in advanced coursework, current enrollment in such coursework, and the share of students eligible for free/reduced-price meals.

Grant uses and funding

  • Grant funds are to pay for AP exam fees for students automatically enrolled.
  • Eligible uses include:
    • Teacher training for AP/secondary-credit courses
    • Textbooks and instructional materials
    • Tutoring for students in advanced coursework
    • Administrative costs (data collection, reporting, family engagement)
    • Bonuses for teachers based on the number of students who pass AP exams (permitted notwithstanding other laws)
  • Up to 15% of the appropriation may be retained by the Department to administer the program, including application processing and performance reporting.
  • The appropriation is non-canceling and available through June 30, 2029.

Reporting and evaluation

  • By January 1, 2030, the Minnesota Department of Education must submit a comprehensive report to relevant legislative committees.
  • Report contents to include:
    • Number of students eligible for advanced coursework, enrollment vs. non-enrollment, course completion, and non-completion, with disaggregation by race/ethnicity, free/reduced-price meal eligibility, and special education status.
    • Number of teachers providing/ recruited to teach advanced coursework (disaggregated by race/ethnicity).
    • Information on which advanced coursework students were automatically enrolled in.
    • Feedback from participating districts on implementation.
  • Report to include recommendations on implementing a statewide academic acceleration program.

Effective date

  • The act, if enacted, becomes effective the day after final enactment.

Fiscal note (appropriations)

  • General fund appropriation to the Department of Education for the academic acceleration pilot program for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 (amounts to be determined in the final bill text).
  • Up to 15% of the appropriation may be used for administrative purposes.
  • Funds are available through June 30, 2029.

Potential impact and implications

  • Increased access to advanced coursework for a broader student population, with an emphasis on equitable expansion (notably through targeted district selection and support for teachers of color).
  • Structured data collection will provide insights into participation, outcomes, and equity implications to inform potential statewide expansion.
  • Automatic enrollment could raise participation in AP and other advanced courses, with parent opt-out options to preserve choice.
  • Funding mix supports training, materials, tutoring, and administrative needs, while allowing teacher incentive structures tied to student success on AP exams.
  • The program’s success and scalability depend on effective implementation across diverse districts and robust reporting.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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