This bill proposes changes to Minnesota's education policies to encourage educational innovation. Key aspects of the bill include:

1. Experiential and Applied Learning: The bill encourages school districts to provide alternative educational programs such as magnet schools, language immersion programs, project-based learning, career and technical education, and Montessori schools. Districts implementing these programs must adopt and publicly review a plan outlining structure, enrollment, assessment, and evaluation.

2. P-TECH School Approval Process: The bill modifies the process for school boards to adopt Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) programs. It shifts approval authority from the state commissioner to local school boards and requires detailed program plans to include agreements between schools and business/higher education partners.

3. Innovation Research Zone Program: The bill reorganizes and updates the Innovation Research Zones, which allow schools to test and implement innovative educational models. Schools can experiment with personalized learning, competency-based assessments, career partnerships, and alternative teacher training models.

4. Changes in Oversight: The bill repeals the requirement for an external advisory panel to review innovation research zone applications, shifting decision-making power to school districts and removing the commissioner’s authority to approve or deny locally adopted innovation plans.

5. Statutory Reorganization: The bill renumbers and reorganizes existing education innovation statutes into a new chapter (124F) for clarity and consistency.

6. Repeal of Prior Regulations: It repeals an earlier requirement for an advisory panel to oversee innovation research zones.

Overall, the bill emphasizes local control over educational innovation, streamlines approval processes for new educational models, and fosters collaboration between schools, businesses, and higher education institutions.