MN SF1475

Creates financial incentives for school districts and charter schools to increase MCA and MTAS testing participation by linking incentives to formula allowance increases in education funding.

School districts receive 100 percent of their formula allowance increase if both their grades 3-8 and high school participation rates meet or exceed 95 percent; districts below 95 percent receive a percentage equal to their all-grades participation rate.

Requires the Commissioner of Education to create a parent opt-out form that explains state academic standards, identifies aligned tests, and discloses potential consequences including testing participation incentives.

Allows districts with reduced funding due to low participation to request waivers by demonstrating significant efforts to inform staff and families about state standards, or alternatively use a two-year average of participation rates.

Amends the general education aid calculation to account for statewide testing participation incentives when determining district funding for fiscal year 2015 and later.