MN SF3288

Establishes centers for innovation and teaching excellence in schools with significant achievement gaps, targeting Title I schools in the bottom 10 percent for proficiency and bottom 5 percent for student growth, with secondary schools also eligible if graduation rates fall below 60 percent.

Requires participating schools to maintain class sizes of one teacher per 18 students, provide five additional minutes of coordinated planning time per 25 minutes of instruction, and employ one school counselor per 250 students, one social worker per 400 students, and one psychologist per 1,000 students.

Districts with participating schools must reserve at least one percent of basic revenue for staff development, with 50 percent allocated to center schools on a per-teacher basis.

Creates a student loan repayment program forgiving one-fourth of qualified education loan principal annually for ethnic minority licensed employees at center schools, with annual reapplication allowed.

Establishes innovation and excellence grants for center schools to fund extended instructional time, parent and family outreach programs, and colocated community services in school buildings.