The Senate Education Policy Committee voted to send Senate File 2250 to the Education Finance Committee after hearing students, educators and school leaders describe how flexible definitions of instructional hours would expand real-world learning.

Sen. K. Maquade, the bill sponsor, told the committee the proposal would "bring flexibility and clarity to our education system by defining what hours of instruction are in our secondary schools." Supporters said the bill would let districts count supervised internships, apprenticeships, project-based learning and other out-of-classroom supervised experiences as instructional hours, provided a qualified teacher verifies supervision and coordination.

Student and recent-graduate witnesses described personal experiences they said would have been credit-bearing under the bill. Julian Spencer, a 21-year-old North High School graduate who helps lead a youth group, said the bill "would remove a key barrier preventing schools from providing more motivating learning experiences." A 17-year-old student from Exploration High School described internships and HBCU visits she earned credit for and said similar opportunities should count toward graduation.

Jeff Palicki, principal at the Academies of Shakopee, said the bill ‘‘provides much needed clarity by defining hours of instruction as educational experiences that allow students to earn academic credit are available to all students and are supervised, coordinated, and verified by a qualified teacher.’’ He described partnerships with hospitals, businesses and tribal partners that place students in capstone and internship work.

Committee members asked whether school boards would retain local control over approvals. Senators confirmed the bill requires board approval and that districts will determine the specific oversight and verification processes. The committee voted to send the bill to the Education Finance Committee.

Next steps: The bill will go to the Education Finance Committee for fiscal review and further consideration.