Minnesota
Department of
Education
Update
Joel M. Larsen
AFNR Program Specialist
Center of Postsecondary
Success
Joel.larsen@state.mn.us
Minnesota
Graduation Requirements
Minnesota students are required to complete three kinds of
requirements by the time they graduate. Students must:
• Satisfactorily complete the state course credit requirements under
Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.024.
• Satisfactorily complete all state academic standards or local
academic standards where state standards do not apply.
• Meet graduation assessment requirements.
Academic
Graduation Requirements
- 4 credits of language arts
- 3 credits of mathematics, including algebra, geometry, statistics
and probability sufficient to satisfy the standards. Students in the
graduating class of 2015 and beyond must complete an algebra II
credit or its equivalent as part of the 3-credit requirement. In
addition to the high school credits, students in the graduating
class of 2015 and beyond must also complete an algebra I credit
by the end of 8th grade.
- 3½ credits of social studies, including U.S. history, geography,
government and citizenship, world history and economics
- 1 credit in the arts
- 7 elective credits
Science
Graduation Requirements
- 3 credits of science, including a biology credit. Students are
required to meet ALL science standards. In addition, students
in the graduating class of 2015 and beyond must complete a
chemistry, physics, or Career and Technical Education (CTE)
credit as part of the 3-credit requirement.
(The CTE credit must meet the standards underlying the
chemistry physics, or biology credit or a combination of those
standards approved by the district. Meeting biology standards
through CTE does not satisfy the biology requirement.)
- An agriculture course may fulfill a general science credit
requirement. A CTE course may fulfill a general science,
mathematics or arts credit requirement. (see Rule 3505.1150).
School districts may require additional course credits or other
requirements for graduation beyond the minimum required by
the state.
Chemistry – Physics Credit
Defined
Students who graduate in the 2014-2015 school year or later must
complete a chemistry credit, a physics credit or a CTE credit that
meets one of the following criteria.

The CTE course fulfills all the life science standards, all of the
chemistry standards or all of the physics standards, (Students must
also complete a credit in biology through the science
department)OR

The CTE course partially fulfills the life science standards, the
chemistry standards, the physics standards or a combination of
those standards as approved by the district.

Students must satisfactorily complete the balance of the chemistry
or physics standards that were not included in the CTE course. They
can complete the “missing” standards through other courses
(science courses, CTE courses, or other kinds of courses).
Teacher Qualifications

Minnesota Rule 3505.1150 AWARDING SCIENCE,
MATHEMATICS, OR ARTS CREDITS THROUGH CAREER AND
TECHNICAL EDUCATION, states: “A career and technical
education course may fulfill a mathematics or arts credit
requirement or a science credit requirement other than the
specified science credit in biology …”, if the district
determines that appropriate science standards are met with
integrity and the CTE teacher has passed the Subject
Assessment and Specialty Area licensure test in the science
area in which the credit is given.

Please note that the licensure test requirement above does
not apply to teachers of agriculture, who are exempt under
Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.024(b). (Science only)
Career & Technical Education
Levy 2013

The Career & Technical Levy gets
reformulated as an equalized levy to
become career and technical revenue.

As such, certain districts who levy to an
amount required by law will get state aid if
their property value is too low for the levy
to generate all revenue allowed under the
formula.
Career & Technical Education
Levy 2013

CTE cap 2014 is raised from $15,393,000 to
$20,657,000.

$4.3 million of that expected to be state
aid and the rest generated by local levy.

The PAY 2014 levy (certified by school
boards in late 2013) the formula remains at
the lesser of 25% of approved expenditures
or $80 per headcount student in grades 1012.
Career & Technical Education
Levy 2013

The PAY 2015 levy the formula changes to :
 35%
of approved expenditures
 (eliminating the factor based on number of
students in grades 10-12)
 and the revenue cap is eliminated.
 It is anticipated that the revenue in 2015 will
be approximately $24 million.
 Proration will occur if exceeds the amount
appropriated by the legislature (currently set
at $4,320,000 for 2014 and $5,680,000 for
2015).
Teacher Licensure Examinations
 Minnesota
Statute § 120B.024 allows CTE teachers
to deliver math, science or the arts standards for
credit in CTE.
 Minnesota
Rule 3505.1150 states that to do so,
the teacher must pass the subject competency
test for teacher licensure in that area of math,
science or the arts.
 MTLE



(Minnesota Teacher Licensure Examination)
Basic Skills Test- (Math, Reading, Writing)
Pedagogy: Secondary (Grades 5-12)
Agriculture (Grades 5-12)
Minnesota Teacher Licensure

All persons applying for their initial license
must take and pass the MTLE (Minnesota
Teacher Licensure Exams) Basic Skills:




Math
Reading
Writing
The candidates must also pass the MTLE for



Education Pedagogy *
Agriculture Education subject matter *
* individuals who do not pass these exams will
be issued a limited license and have up to three
years to successfully pass these MTLE exams.
Minnesota Teacher Licensure

A teacher who has already been issued a one-year
license in Minnesota, an additional one-year license may
now be granted for the 2013-2014 school year even if one
or more of the MTLE Basic Skills tests (Math, Reading,
Writing) have not been passed.

A teacher applying for a first license in Minnesota and
who has completed a Minnesota licensure program, a
one-year license may be granted for the 2013-2014 school
year if the MTLE Basic Skills tests have been attempted but
not passed.* Content and Pedagogy tests must also be
attempted, with up to three years to pass.

A teacher applying for a first license in Minnesota who
completed an out-of-state licensure program, a one-year
license may be granted for the 2013-2014 school year to
allow time to attempt and pass the MTLE Basic Skills tests
during that year.*
Secondary Program Update


184 AFNR Programs
224 teachers (216 in 2010; 213 in 2011; 215 in 2012)






17 Unfilled Positions ( 13.02 FTE’s)
25 Positions filled Spring 2013 (23.75 FTE’s)
7 departments – 3 Teachers
26 departments – 2 Teachers
129 Full Time Programs –
22 less than 1.0 FTE
(full time equivalents)
Teaching
Experience
Teaching
Experience
AFNR Enrollment
Carl Perkins
AFNR
Enrollment
Data
2008 -
2009 -
2010 -
2011 -
2009
2010
2011
2012
32,924
5,932*
27,942
10,045*
20,875
8,808*
21,022
7,917*
* concentrators
Perkins AFNR Concentrators
•
•
•
Minnesota Enrollment = 21,022
Student Enrollment Average = 114.9
Concentrators have completed 240 hours of instruction
in the AFNR program.
•
•
•
•
Female Male Total -
2,626
5,291
7,917
33.2 %
66.8 %
2012 graduation rate for CTE concentrators = 98.27. %
(NCLB Grad Rate)
•
•
MCA GRAD Reading 10 score = 78.24% (MN Ave. = 80.4%)
(72.52% in 2011)
MCA GRAD Math 11 score = 56.49% (MN average = 57.7 %)
(37.02% in 2011)
AFNR Concentrators
Perkins
AFNR Concentrators
7,917 AFNR students identified as CTE Concentrators
 90.9
% White, Non-Hispanic (7,200)
 37.8 % Economically Disadvantaged (2,997)
 28.4 % Non Traditional Enrollee (2,256)
 19.2 % Individual with a Disability (1,521)
AFNR Enrollment by Pathway
AFNR Pathway
CP Data
2012
Power, Structure & Technical
8,120
Animal Systems
Plant Systems
Natural Resource & Environmental
Systems
Agri Business Systems
Food Products & Processing
(including Biotechnology)
5,582
4,349
4,986
4,259
611
AFNR Enrollment by Pathway
Agri
Science
Credit
Agri
Science
Credit
Agricultural Science
• Animal Science
• Biotechnology
• Plant Science
• Natural Resource Science
Total
•
C Perkins data Table C 2011-2012
493
1,322
403
702
973
3,893
2011 = 4,248
Minnesota
Department of
Education
Update
Joel M. Larsen
AFNR Program Specialist
Center of Postsecondary
Success
Joel.larsen@state.mn.us