SF 2598 Summary

• Modifies home school assessment requirements by allowing nationally recognized college entrance exams as an alternative to standardized achievement examinations for performance evaluation.

• Changes home school reporting to the superintendent from annual submissions to only the first year of homeschooling and the 7th grade year.

• Adds cash flow adjustment provisions for charter schools serving fewer than 150 students where 100 percent of enrollment is eligible for special education services, allowing accelerated aid payments up to 90 percent of estimated entitlement.

• Expands driver education certification options for homeschool students by allowing behind-the-wheel training with parent certification of homeschool status, rather than requiring superintendent certification.

• Clarifies collaborative urban educator grant appropriations of $528,000 for 2010 and 2011, distributed among Southeast Asian teacher program at Concordia University, program at University of St. Thomas, and Center for Excellence in Urban Teaching at Hamline University.