House File 2128 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY WILLS
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to the establishment of teacher quality
2 demonstration pilot projects by school districts.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 284.18 Teacher quality
1 2 demonstration pilot projects.
1 3 1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context
1 4 otherwise requires:
1 5 a. "Applicant" means the school superintendent of the school
1 6 district in which a cluster is located.
1 7 b. "Cluster" means a set of attendance centers consisting
1 8 of not less than one high school, not more than four middle
1 9 schools, and not more than seven elementary schools in a given
1 10 school district.
1 11 c. "Teacher" means a member of the instructional staff
1 12 who may or may not be licensed under chapter 272 and who is
1 13 employed by the school district to provide instruction in the
1 14 cluster on a part=time or full=time basis.
1 15 2. Department responsibilities. The department shall do all
1 16 of the following:
1 17 a. Make information available on its internet site regarding
1 18 teacher quality demonstration pilot project requirements and
1 19 the pilot project application and review process.
1 20 b. Approve applications for the creation of not less
1 21 than five, nor more than twelve, pilot projects submitted
1 22 by clusters that develop systems for attracting, retaining,
1 23 rewarding, and motivating teachers in accordance with this
1 24 section.
1 25 c. Review each pilot project annually based on the data
1 26 submitted in the school district's comprehensive school
1 27 improvement plan. The department may withdraw approval of a
1 28 teacher quality demonstration pilot project for failure of a
1 29 cluster to meet the pilot project requirements of subsection
1 30 3. If the department withdraws its approval, waivers and
1 31 exceptions granted to a school district or cluster for purposes
1 32 of this section under subsection 5; section 256.9, subsection
1 33 43; or section 256.11, subsection 8, are revoked.
1 34 3. Pilot project requirements. Each cluster shall meet the
1 35 following requirements:
2 1 a. Establish multiple career paths for teachers.
2 2 b. Place all teachers in expanded roles, which may include
2 3 but are not limited to leadership, program director, master
2 4 teacher, and mentor, and any other position approved by the
2 5 director. In expanding the roles, the director shall take into
2 6 consideration the interests, abilities, and accomplishments of
2 7 teachers within the cluster.
2 8 c. Notwithstanding chapter 20, provide for market=based
2 9 compensation of teachers under which teacher compensation
2 10 levels are based on the accomplishments and performance of
2 11 teachers, student academic achievement, and evaluation from
2 12 peers, senior teachers, and attendance center principals.
2 13 d. Offer performance=based accountability as follows:
2 14 (1) Eliminate teacher tenure and establish three=year
2 15 teaching contracts.
2 16 (2) Establish a system for teacher hiring and advancement
2 17 that is based on evaluation of a teacher's performance by peers
2 18 who are employed by the school district and by peers who are
2 19 not employed by the school district.
2 20 e. Include ongoing professional development activities that
2 21 meet all of the following requirements:
2 22 (1) Are directly related to the curriculum and content areas
2 23 in which the teacher provides instruction.
2 24 (2) Are tied to challenging state or local content and
2 25 student performance standards.
2 26 (3) Are related to the instruction in methods of
2 27 disciplining children at the grade level taught by the teacher.
2 28 (4) Are proven effective instructional strategies and
2 29 methods for improving student achievement.
2 30 f. Establish a formal teacher mentoring system in which
2 31 beginning teachers and teachers in need of intensive assistance
2 32 are mentored by master teachers.
2 33 g. Establish, notwithstanding section 256.7, subsection
2 34 3, and chapter 272, an alternative preparation program to
2 35 train and hire an individual who possesses, at a minimum, a
3 1 baccalaureate degree in the field in which the individual
3 2 will be employed to provide instruction as a teacher at
3 3 an attendance center in the cluster. The individual must
3 4 demonstrate expertise in the field in which they will provide
3 5 instruction.
3 6 h. Make available to an individual who is employed under
3 7 paragraph "g" opportunities to meet the requirements for a
3 8 teaching license under chapter 272 or to become certified by
3 9 the national board for professional teaching standards.
3 10 4. Pilot project application requirements. An application
3 11 to implement a teacher quality demonstration pilot project
3 12 under this section may only be submitted by the superintendent
3 13 of the school district in the time and manner determined by
3 14 the department. Each application shall include all of the
3 15 following information:
3 16 a. A description of how the pilot project will assist the
3 17 school district in achieving the student achievement goals in
3 18 the school district's comprehensive school improvement plan.
3 19 b. Identification and description of the attendance centers
3 20 that will comprise the cluster.
3 21 c. A description of the pilot project and how the cluster
3 22 will comply with the requirements of subsection 3.
3 23 d. An assurance that the school district will increase the
3 24 salaries of teachers who are employed at the attendance centers
3 25 that comprise the cluster, with descriptions of how teachers
3 26 will be compensated at the various role levels and the impact a
3 27 teacher's performance evaluation may reasonably be expected to
3 28 have on the teacher's salary.
3 29 e. A detailed description of the cost of the pilot
3 30 project, including but not limited to how the district will
3 31 reallocate or raise funds to cover the costs associated with
3 32 implementation of the pilot project.
3 33 f. A description of the statutes and rules requirements
3 34 and provisions that the department is requested to waive under
3 35 subsection 5; section 256.9, subsection 43; and section 256.11,
4 1 subsection 8.
4 2 5. Three=year statutory and rule exemption authority.
4 3 Notwithstanding chapter 20, the department may grant to a
4 4 cluster implementing a teacher quality demonstration pilot
4 5 project approved under this section a three=year exemption from
4 6 one or more of the teacher probation, evaluation, employment,
4 7 and due process requirements and provisions of sections
4 8 279.12, 279.13, 279.14, 279.15, 279.16, 279.17, 279.18, 279.19,
4 9 279.19A, 279.19B, 279.21, 279.27, and 279.43. The exemption
4 10 may be renewed.
4 11 6. Evaluation requirements == report. The department and
4 12 each school district operating a cluster approved under this
4 13 section shall regularly evaluate and document the activities
4 14 and approaches utilized and outcomes achieved under a pilot
4 15 project. The department shall compile and summarize the
4 16 results of the school districts' evaluations in an annual
4 17 report which shall include the department's findings and
4 18 recommendations and shall be submitted to the state board and
4 19 to the general assembly.
4 20 EXPLANATION
4 21 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
4 22 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly.
4 23 This bill relates to the establishment of teacher quality
4 24 demonstration pilot projects by clusters of attendance centers
4 25 within a school district and authorizes the department of
4 26 education to grant to a cluster a three=year exemption from one
4 27 or more of the teacher probation, evaluation, employment, and
4 28 due process requirements and provisions of Code chapter 279.
4 29 GENERAL PROVISIONS. Only the school district's
4 30 superintendent may apply to the department for approval to
4 31 operate a teacher quality demonstration pilot project. Each
4 32 pilot project is comprised of a cluster within the school
4 33 district. Each cluster must include not less than one high
4 34 school, not more than four middle schools, and not more than
4 35 seven elementary schools in a given school district.
5 1 The bill defines "teacher" to mean a member of the
5 2 instructional staff who may or may not be licensed under Code
5 3 chapter 272 and who is employed by the school district to
5 4 provide instruction in the cluster on a part=time or full=time
5 5 basis.
5 6 The department must make information regarding teacher
5 7 quality demonstration pilot project requirements and the
5 8 pilot project application and review process available on its
5 9 internet site; must approve applications for the creation
5 10 of between 5 and 12 pilot projects; and must review each
5 11 pilot project annually based on the data submitted in the
5 12 school district's comprehensive school improvement plan.
5 13 The department may withdraw approval of a pilot project for
5 14 failure to meet pilot project requirements. If the department
5 15 withdraws its approval, waivers and exceptions granted for
5 16 purposes of the pilot project are revoked.
5 17 PILOT PROJECT REQUIREMENTS. The bill lists the requirements
5 18 each cluster must meet, including but not limited to multiple
5 19 career paths for teachers; expanded roles for teachers;
5 20 market=based compensation for teachers; performance=based
5 21 accountability of teachers that includes elimination of teacher
5 22 tenure and establishment of three=year teaching contracts;
5 23 a system for teacher hiring and advancement based on peer
5 24 evaluation; ongoing professional development activities; and a
5 25 formal teacher mentoring system.
5 26 The pilot project must also establish an alternative
5 27 preparation program to train and hire an individual who
5 28 possesses, at a minimum, a baccalaureate degree in the field in
5 29 which the individual will be employed to provide instruction
5 30 as a teacher at an attendance center in the cluster. The bill
5 31 nullifies the practitioner preparation program provisions of
5 32 Code section 256.7, subsection 3, and the provisions of Code
5 33 chapter 272, for purposes of this pilot project requirement.
5 34 Such individuals must also be provided with opportunities
5 35 to meet the requirements for a teaching license under Code
6 1 chapter 272 or to become certified by the national board for
6 2 professional teaching standards.
6 3 PILOT PROJECT APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS. The bill requires
6 4 that a pilot project application include a description of how
6 5 the pilot project will assist the school district in achieving
6 6 the district's student achievement goals; identification and
6 7 description of the attendance centers that will comprise the
6 8 cluster; a description of the pilot project and how the cluster
6 9 will comply with the pilot project requirements; an assurance
6 10 that the school district will increase teacher salaries;
6 11 a detailed description of pilot project costs and how the
6 12 district will reallocate or raise funds to cover the costs;
6 13 and a description of the statutes and rules requirements and
6 14 provisions that the department is requested to waive.
6 15 THREE=YEAR STATUTORY AND RULE EXEMPTION AUTHORITY. The bill
6 16 nullifies the collective bargaining provisions of Code chapter
6 17 20 to authorize the department to grant a three=year renewable
6 18 exemption to the cluster from one or more of the teacher
6 19 probation, evaluation, employment, and due process requirements
6 20 and provisions of Code chapter 279.
6 21 EVALUATION REQUIREMENTS == REPORT. The department and each
6 22 school district operating an approved cluster must regularly
6 23 evaluate and document the activities and approaches utilized
6 24 and outcomes achieved under a pilot project. The department
6 25 shall compile and summarize the results of the evaluations in
6 26 an annual report which shall include the department's findings
6 27 and recommendations and shall be submitted to the state board
6 28 of education and to the general assembly.
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