Minnesota Education Law and Policy Flashcards

Minnesota's World's Best Workforce (WBWF) legislation requires school districts to:

Answer: Annually set goals and report progress on closing achievement gaps and preparing all students for career and college readiness

WBWF (Minn. Stat. 120B.11) requires districts to annually identify goals, measure progress, and report on closing achievement gaps and improving graduation and college readiness rates.

The Minnesota Human Rights Act (MHRA) protects students from discrimination in schools based on:

Answer: Race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, disability, age, and sexual orientation, among other characteristics

The MHRA provides broad anti-discrimination protections in educational settings, covering a wide range of protected characteristics beyond federal law minimums.

Under FERPA, a parent's right to review their child's educational records applies until the student:

Answer: Turns 18 or begins attending a postsecondary institution

FERPA rights transfer from parents to the student (now called an 'eligible student') when the student turns 18 or enrolls in a postsecondary institution.

A Minnesota teacher suspects that a student is being abused at home. Under mandated reporter law, the teacher should:

Answer: Report the concern to child protective services immediately

Minnesota mandated reporter law requires immediate reporting to child protective services upon reasonable suspicion of maltreatment — notifying the parent first is not required and could endanger the child.

Charter schools in Minnesota are:

Answer: Public schools that operate independently from the local school district under a performance contract

Minnesota, which authorized the nation's first charter school in 1991, defines charter schools as publicly funded, independently operated schools accountable to an authorizing body under a performance contract.

The purpose of the Minnesota Statute on student discipline (121A.40–121A.56) is PRIMARILY to:

Answer: Establish uniform, due-process-compliant procedures for student discipline including suspension and expulsion

Minnesota's pupil fair dismissal act establishes due process rights for students facing suspension or expulsion, including notice, hearings, and appeal rights.