Legal Issue Analysis

Non-Public vs. Public School Policy & Law

Krista McNally, Amy Engler, Steph Betley, Lori Ledoux, Tara Goff
Non-Public vs. Public School Policy & Law

Non-public schools are not required to align their curriculum, and several other
policies to the MN state standards.
http://mnsaa.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/15.0901Guide-to-Minnesota-Law-for-Nonpublic-Schools.pdf

There are no requirements for registration with the state.

There are no requirements for licensing of the non-public school by the state.

There are no requirements for approval of a non-public school by the state.

For non-public school teachers, teacher certification (licensure) is optional.

The state does not regulate the length of school year for students attending nonpublic schools.
Non-Public vs. Public School Policy & Law
Minnesota's compulsory education law requires that every child between the ages of seven and
seventeen, unless they have graduated, must receive instruction in the following:

1) Basic communication skills including reading and writing, literature, and fine arts.

2) Mathematics and science.

3) Social studies including history, geography, and government.

4) Health and physical education (Minn. Stat. 120A.22, Subd.9).

General Educational Law & Policy
Non-Public Schools Public Schools
Accreditation/Registration/licensing/Approval
OPTIONAL
Accreditation/Registration/licensing/Approval
Teacher Certification OPTIONAL Teacher Certification
Length of School Year/Days NOT REGULATED Length of School Year/Days
Curriculum MINN. STAT. 120A.22/124.D.59-124D.61/124D.65/124D.68/124D.74/120B.22 Curriculum
Recordkeeping/Reports SUBMIT MN COMPULSORY INSTRUCTION Recordkeeping/Reports
REPORT
Health & Safety Requirements
Health & Safety Requirements IMMUNIZATIONS ARE MANDATORY,
NOT SUBJECT TO CRISIS MANAGEMENT POLICY REQUIREMENTS
Transportation
Transportation Textbooks
Textbooks ACCREDITED/NON-ACCREDITED Testing
Testing ACCREDITED/NON-ACCREDITED Special Education
Special Education Nursing & Health
Nursing & Health Technology
Technology Professional Development
Professional Development
Tax Exemption
Public Aid for Private Education
Enrollment
Issues of Concern for Private Schools
The Safe & Supportive Schools Act
2014 Legislative Session

Minn. Stat. 121A.031, Subd. 1(b) states: A nonpublic school under section 123B.41,
subdivision 9, consistent with its school accreditation cycle, is encouraged to
electronically transmit to the commissioner its anti-bullying policy, if any, and any
summary data on its bullying incidents.
MPS Policy 5201: Bullying & Hazing

MPS Policy 5201

Bullying & Hazing

Prohibition

5 pages
Alignment with State and Federal Laws
Inconsistent alignment of standards: MN State Standards vs. Core Knowledge
Textbooks: Outdated vs. Current
Curriculum is not aligned between grade bands and content areas.
Inconsistent year to year

Accredidation Link: http://mnsaa.org/?page_id=3468

The Alternative
Online learning tools and options
IXL for Math & ELA, MN State Standards
Blended Learning Resources
I-Ready, online
Students are assessed and then provided with grade level guided instructions and lessons.
Aligned with MN State Standards
Journeys, reading curriculum
K-5
Aligned with MN State Standards
Improving Student Learning
Students are not learning skills consistently across grade levels
Students are moving grade levels and are missing skills
Evident in work and test results (NWEA and I-Ready Scores)
Implementing Recommendations
Once a new curriculum is agreed upon, contact companies for info.
Teacher review and evaluation of curriculum prior to implementation.
Create a curriculum review task force or committee
Standards alignment (agreement on MN State Standards or Core
Knowledge)
Teacher PD
Curriculum evaluation and review after implementation
Convincing Others
Who are our stakeholders?
Principal
PTO/PTA
Priest and parish personnel
Teachers who will be using the curriculum
How do you communicate the reasons for new curriculum?
Alignment to standards, content, and grade bands
Depending on your stakeholders, will the curriculum represent the students that it serves/is it
culturally relevant?
Monitoring Outcomes
Teacher, student, parent feedback to monitor curriculum process
Student test scores and skill monitoring
Formal and Informal Observations
Teacher Professional Development to optimize resources, gage student learning
In conclusion:
While non-public schools are not required to comply with various state standards, it is
in the students and schools best interest to implement curriculum and resources that
help to teach and reach those state standards. This can be accomplished by making
sure that subject curriculum is aligned to the standards (math, reading/language arts,
history and geography, etc.) and supplemental materials are made available in order to
support these standards.

In order to find and adopt a new curriculum, a small team of various teachers should
meet and review each program. Upon determination of one, teachers should be
provided with a training to learn how to use and maximize the materials.

Progress monitoring should be scheduled to reviews areas of success and challenges.