Bill Text: IA HF272 | 2015-2016 | 86th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to the Iowa core curriculum and core content standards applicable to students in kindergarten through grade twelve and including effective date provisions.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 8)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-02-18 - Subcommittee, Highfill, Brown-Powers, and Salmon. H.J. 356. [HF272 Detail]

Download: Iowa-2015-HF272-Introduced.html

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House File 272 - Introduced




                                 HOUSE FILE       
                                 BY  SALMON, FISHER, WILLS,
                                     HEARTSILL, HOLT,
                                     SHEETS, WATTS, and
                                     LANDON

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to the Iowa core curriculum and core content
  2    standards applicable to students in kindergarten through
  3    grade twelve and including effective date provisions.
  4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
    TLSB 1326HH (8) 86
    kh/rj

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 256.7, subsection 21, paragraph b,
  1  2 subparagraphs (2) and (3), Code 2015, are amended to read as
  1  3 follows:
  1  4    (2)  Notwithstanding subparagraph (1), for the school year
  1  5 beginning July 1, 2016, and each succeeding school year, the
  1  6 rules shall provide that all students enrolled in school
  1  7 districts in grades three through eleven shall be administered
  1  8 an assessment during the last quarter of the school year that
  1  9 at a minimum assesses the core academic indicators identified
  1 10 in this paragraph "b"; is aligned with the Iowa common core
  1 11 standards in both content and rigor; accurately describes
  1 12 student achievement and growth for purposes of the school, the
  1 13 school district, and state accountability systems; and provides
  1 14 valid, reliable, and fair measures of student progress toward
  1 15 college or career readiness.
  1 16    (3)  The director shall establish an assessment task force
  1 17 to review and make recommendations for a statewide assessment
  1 18 of student progress on the core academic indicators identified
  1 19 pursuant to this paragraph "b". The task force shall recommend
  1 20 a statewide assessment that is aligned to the Iowa common core
  1 21 standards and is, at a minimum, valid, reliable, tested, and
  1 22 piloted in Iowa. In addition, in developing recommendations,
  1 23 the task force shall consider the costs to school districts and
  1 24 the state in providing and administering such an assessment and
  1 25 the technical support necessary to implement the assessment.
  1 26 The task force shall submit its recommendations in a report
  1 27 to the director, the state board, and the general assembly by
  1 28 January 1, 2015. The task force shall assist with the final
  1 29 development and implementation of the assessment administered
  1 30 pursuant to subparagraph (2). The task force members shall
  1 31 include but not be limited to teachers, school administrators,
  1 32 business leaders, representatives of state agencies, and
  1 33 members of the general public. This subparagraph is repealed
  1 34 July 1, 2020.
  1 35    Sec. 2.  Section 256.7, subsection 21, paragraph c, Code
  2  1 2015, is amended to read as follows:
  2  2    c.  A requirement that all school districts and accredited
  2  3 nonpublic schools annually report to the department and the
  2  4 local community the district=wide progress made in attaining
  2  5 student achievement goals on the academic and other core
  2  6 indicators and the district=wide progress made in attaining
  2  7 locally established student learning goals. The school
  2  8 districts and accredited nonpublic schools shall demonstrate
  2  9 the use of multiple assessment measures in determining student
  2 10 achievement levels. The school districts and accredited
  2 11 nonpublic schools shall also report the number of students
  2 12 who graduate; the number of students who drop out of school;
  2 13 the number of students who are tested and the percentage of
  2 14 students who are so tested annually; and the percentage of
  2 15 students who graduated during the prior school year and who
  2 16 completed a core curriculum. The board shall develop and
  2 17 adopt uniform definitions consistent with the federal No Child
  2 18 Left Behind Act of 2001, Pub. L. No. 107=110 and any federal
  2 19 regulations adopted pursuant to the federal Act. The school
  2 20 districts and accredited nonpublic schools may report on other
  2 21 locally determined factors influencing student achievement.
  2 22 The school districts and accredited nonpublic schools shall
  2 23 also report to the local community their results by individual
  2 24 attendance center.
  2 25    Sec. 3.  Section 256.7, subsection 26, paragraph a,
  2 26 unnumbered paragraph 1, Code 2015, is amended to read as
  2 27 follows:
  2 28    Adopt rules that establish a core curriculum and high school
  2 29 graduation requirements for all students in school districts
  2 30 and accredited nonpublic schools that include at a minimum
  2 31 satisfactory completion of four years of English and language
  2 32 arts, three years of mathematics, three years of science, and
  2 33 three years of social studies.  Schools are encouraged to
  2 34 include in locally developed standards the skills and knowledge
  2 35 students need to be successful in the twenty=first century,
  3  1 including but not limited to civic literacy, health literacy,
  3  2 technology literacy, financial literacy, and employability
  3  3 skills.
  3  4    Sec. 4.  Section 256.7, subsection 26, paragraph a,
  3  5 subparagraph (3), Code 2015, is amended by striking the
  3  6 subparagraph.
  3  7    Sec. 5.  Section 256.7, subsection 26, paragraph b, Code
  3  8 2015, is amended by striking the paragraph.
  3  9    Sec. 6.  Section 256.7, subsection 26, paragraph c, Code
  3 10 2015, is amended to read as follows:
  3 11    c.  Neither the state board nor the department shall require
  3 12 school districts or accredited nonpublic schools to adopt a
  3 13 specific textbook, textbook series, or specific instructional
  3 14 methodology, or acquire specific textbooks, curriculum
  3 15 materials, or educational products from a specific vendor
  3 16 in order to meet the core curriculum requirements of this
  3 17 subsection or the core content standards adopted pursuant to
  3 18 subsection 28.
  3 19    Sec. 7.  Section 256.7, subsection 26, Code 2015, is amended
  3 20 by adding the following new paragraph:
  3 21    NEW PARAGRAPH.  d.  Adopt rules prohibiting the department
  3 22 from adopting and implementing statewide core curriculum
  3 23 standards.  School districts and accredited nonpublic schools
  3 24 are strongly encouraged to set high expectations in locally
  3 25 developed core content standards.
  3 26    Sec. 8.  Section 256.7, subsection 28, Code 2015, is amended
  3 27 to read as follows:
  3 28    28.  Adopt a set of core content assessment standards
  3 29 applicable to all students in kindergarten through grade twelve
  3 30 in every school district and accredited nonpublic school. For
  3 31 purposes of this subsection, "core content assessment standards"
  3 32 includes reading, mathematics, and science. The core content
  3 33  assessment standards shall be identical to the core content
  3 34 standards included in Iowa's approved 2006 standards and
  3 35 assessment system under Tit. I of the federal Elementary and
  4  1 Secondary Education Act of 1965, 20 U.S.C. {6301 et seq., as
  4  2 amended by the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Pub.
  4  3 L. No. 107=110. School districts and accredited nonpublic
  4  4 schools shall include, at a minimum, the core content standards
  4  5 adopted pursuant to this subsection in any set of locally
  4  6 developed content standards. School districts and accredited
  4  7 nonpublic schools are strongly encouraged to set higher
  4  8 expectations in local standards. As changes in federal law or
  4  9 regulation occur, the state board is authorized to amend the
  4 10 core content standards as appropriate.
  4 11    Sec. 9.  Section 256.7, Code 2015, is amended by adding the
  4 12 following new subsection:
  4 13    NEW SUBSECTION.  33.  Adopt rules prohibiting the department
  4 14 from adopting and implementing the next generation science
  4 15 standards.
  4 16    Sec. 10.  Section 256.9, subsection 53, paragraph a, Code
  4 17 2015, is amended to read as follows:
  4 18    a.  Develop and distribute, in collaboration with the area
  4 19 education agencies, core curriculum technical assistance and
  4 20 implementation strategies that school districts and accredited
  4 21 nonpublic schools shall utilize, including but not limited to
  4 22 the development and delivery of formative and end=of=course
  4 23 model assessments classroom teachers may use to measure student
  4 24 progress on the core curriculum adopted pursuant to section
  4 25 256.7, subsection 26. The department shall, in collaboration
  4 26 with the advisory group convened in accordance with paragraph
  4 27 "b" and educational assessment providers, identify and make
  4 28 available to school districts end=of=course and additional
  4 29 model end=of=course and additional assessments to align with
  4 30 the expectations included in the Iowa core curriculum. The
  4 31 model assessments shall be suitable to meet the multiple
  4 32 assessment measures requirement specified in section 256.7,
  4 33 subsection 21, paragraph "c".
  4 34    Sec. 11.  Section 256.9, subsection 54, Code 2015, is amended
  4 35 by striking the subsection.
  5  1    Sec. 12.  Section 256.40, subsection 2, paragraph e, Code
  5  2 2015, is amended to read as follows:
  5  3    e.  Integrate services provided through the program with
  5  4 other career exploration=related activities such as the student
  5  5 core curriculum graduation plan and the career information and
  5  6 decision=making system developed and administered under section
  5  7 279.61, where appropriate.
  5  8    Sec. 13.  Section 256.42, subsection 6, Code 2015, is amended
  5  9 to read as follows:
  5 10    6.  Coursework offered under the initiative shall be
  5 11 rigorous and high quality, and the department shall annually
  5 12 evaluate the quality of the courses and ensure that coursework
  5 13 is aligned with the state's Iowa core curriculum and core
  5 14 content requirements and standards, as well as national
  5 15 standards of quality for online courses issued by an
  5 16 internationally recognized association for kindergarten through
  5 17 grade twelve online learning.
  5 18    Sec. 14.  Section 257.11, subsection 9, Code 2015, is amended
  5 19 to read as follows:
  5 20    9.  Shared classes and curriculum standards.  A school
  5 21 district shall ensure that any course made available to a
  5 22 student through any sharing agreement between the school
  5 23 district and a community college or any other entity providing
  5 24 course programming pursuant to this section to students
  5 25 enrolled in the school district meets the expectations
  5 26 contained in the core curriculum adopted pursuant to section
  5 27 256.7, subsection 26. The school district shall ensure that
  5 28 any course that has the capacity to generate college credit
  5 29 shall be equivalent to college=level work.
  5 30    Sec. 15.  Section 258.4, subsection 8, Code 2015, is amended
  5 31 to read as follows:
  5 32    8.  Establish a minimum set of competencies and core
  5 33 curriculum for approval of a vocational program sequence that
  5 34 addresses the following:  new and emerging technologies;
  5 35 job=seeking, job=keeping, and other employment skills,
  6  1 including self=employment and entrepreneurial skills, that
  6  2 reflect current industry standards, leadership skills,
  6  3 entrepreneurial, and labor=market needs; and the strengthening
  6  4 of basic academic skills.
  6  5    Sec. 16.  Section 260C.14, subsection 22, paragraph b, Code
  6  6 2015, is amended to read as follows:
  6  7    b.  Collaborate with the state board of regents to meet
  6  8 the requirements specified in section 262.9, subsection 33,
  6  9 including but not limited to developing a systematic process
  6 10 for expanding academic discipline and meetings between the
  6 11 community college faculty and faculty of the institutions
  6 12 of higher education governed by the state board of regents,
  6 13 developing criteria to prioritize core curriculum areas,
  6 14  promoting greater awareness of articulation=related activities,
  6 15 facilitating additional opportunities for individual
  6 16 institutions to pursue program articulation agreements for
  6 17 career and technical educational programs, and developing
  6 18 and implementing a process to examine a minimum of eight
  6 19 new associate of applied science degree programs for which
  6 20 articulation agreements would serve students' continued
  6 21 academic success in those degree programs.
  6 22    Sec. 17.  Section 261E.4, subsection 4, Code 2015, is amended
  6 23 to read as follows:
  6 24    4.  A school district shall establish prerequisite
  6 25 coursework for each advanced placement course offered and shall
  6 26 describe the prerequisites in the course registration handbook,
  6 27 which shall be provided to every junior high school or middle
  6 28 school student prior to the development of a core curriculum
  6 29  graduation plan pursuant to section 279.61.
  6 30    Sec. 18.  Section 261E.6, subsection 2, Code 2015, is amended
  6 31 to read as follows:
  6 32    2.  Notification.  The availability and requirements of this
  6 33 program shall be included in each school district's student
  6 34 registration handbook. Information about the program shall be
  6 35 provided to the student and the student's parent or guardian
  7  1 prior to the development of the student's core curriculum
  7  2  graduation plan under section 279.61. The school district
  7  3 shall establish a process by which students may indicate
  7  4 interest in and apply for enrollment in the program.
  7  5    Sec. 19.  Section 261E.8, subsection 1, Code 2015, is amended
  7  6 to read as follows:
  7  7    1.  A district=to=community college sharing or concurrent
  7  8 enrollment program is established to be administered by the
  7  9 department to promote rigorous academic or career and technical
  7 10 pursuits and to provide a wider variety of options to high
  7 11 school students to enroll part=time in eligible nonsectarian
  7 12 courses at or through community colleges established under
  7 13 chapter 260C.  The program shall be made available to all
  7 14 resident students in grades nine through twelve. Notice of
  7 15 the availability of the program shall be included in a school
  7 16 district's student registration handbook and the handbook shall
  7 17 identify which courses, if successfully completed, generate
  7 18 college credit under the program. A student and the student's
  7 19 parent or legal guardian shall also be made aware of this
  7 20 program as a part of the development of the student's core
  7 21 curriculum graduation plan in accordance with section 279.61.
  7 22    Sec. 20.  Section 261E.9, subsection 2, paragraph b, Code
  7 23 2015, is amended to read as follows:
  7 24    b.  A regional academy may include in its curriculum virtual
  7 25 or internet=based coursework and courses delivered via the Iowa
  7 26 communications network, career and technical courses, core
  7 27 curriculum coursework, courses required pursuant to section
  7 28 256.7, subsection 26, or section 256.11, subsections 4 and 5,
  7 29 and asynchronous learning networks.
  7 30    Sec. 21.  Section 261E.9, subsection 4, Code 2015, is amended
  7 31 to read as follows:
  7 32    4.  Information regarding regional academies shall be
  7 33 provided to a student and the student's parent or guardian
  7 34 prior to the development of the student's core curriculum
  7 35  graduation plan under section 279.61.
  8  1    Sec. 22.  Section 261E.10, subsection 4, Code 2015, is
  8  2 amended to read as follows:
  8  3    4.  Information regarding career academies shall be provided
  8  4 by the school district to a student and the student's parent
  8  5 or guardian prior to the development of the student's core
  8  6 curriculum graduation plan under section 279.61.
  8  7    Sec. 23.  Section 262.9, subsection 33, paragraph c, Code
  8  8 2015, is amended by striking the paragraph.
  8  9    Sec. 24.  Section 279.61, Code 2015, is amended to read as
  8 10 follows:
  8 11    279.61  Student plan for progress toward university admissions
  8 12 == report.
  8 13    1.  For the school year beginning July 1, 2008, and each
  8 14 succeeding school year, the The board of directors of each
  8 15 school district shall cooperate with each student enrolled
  8 16 in grade eight to develop for the student a core curriculum
  8 17  plan to guide the student toward the goal of successfully
  8 18 completing, at a minimum, the core curriculum developed high
  8 19 school graduation requirements adopted by the state board of
  8 20 education pursuant to section 256.7, subsection 26, by the
  8 21 time the student graduates from high school. The plan shall
  8 22 include career options and shall identify the coursework
  8 23 needed in grades nine through twelve to support the student's
  8 24 postsecondary education and career options. Additionally, the
  8 25 plan shall include a timeline for each student to successfully
  8 26 complete, prior to graduation, all components of the
  8 27 state=designated career information and decision=making system
  8 28 administered by the department in accordance with section 118
  8 29 of the federal Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education
  8 30 Improvement Act of 2006, Pub. L. No. 109=270. The student's
  8 31 parent or guardian shall sign the core curriculum graduation
  8 32  plan developed with the student and the signed plan shall be
  8 33 included in the student's cumulative records.
  8 34    2.  For the school year beginning July 1, 2008, and each
  8 35 succeeding school year, the The board of directors of each
  9  1 school district shall report annually to each student enrolled
  9  2 in grades nine through twelve in the school district, and, if
  9  3 the student is under the age of eighteen, to each student's
  9  4 parent or guardian, the student's progress toward meeting the
  9  5 goal of successfully completing the core curriculum and high
  9  6 school graduation requirements adopted by the state board of
  9  7 education pursuant to section 256.7, subsection 26.
  9  8    Sec. 25.  Section 280.3, subsection 3, Code 2015, is amended
  9  9 by striking the subsection.
  9 10    Sec. 26.  EFFECTIVE UPON ENACTMENT.  This Act, being deemed
  9 11 of immediate importance, takes effect upon enactment.
  9 12                           EXPLANATION
  9 13 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
  9 14 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly.
  9 15    This bill eliminates requirements and references to the
  9 16 (Iowa) core curriculum and to core content standards, but
  9 17 continues to direct the state board of education to adopt high
  9 18 school graduation requirements and assessment standards.
  9 19    The bill requires the state board to adopt rules prohibiting
  9 20 the department from adopting and implementing statewide core
  9 21 curriculum standards.  However, schools are strongly encouraged
  9 22 to set high expectations in locally developed core content
  9 23 standards and are also encouraged to include in locally
  9 24 developed standards 21st century skills.  The bill also directs
  9 25 the state board of education to adopt rules prohibiting the
  9 26 department of education from adopting and implementing the
  9 27 next generation science standards as developed by the national
  9 28 research council and cooperating states.
  9 29    Provisions directing school districts to cooperate with each
  9 30 eighth grade student on a core curriculum plan to meet core
  9 31 curriculum requirements are amended to replace "core curriculum
  9 32 plan" with "graduation plan" and "core curriculum requirements"
  9 33 with "high school graduation requirements".  The term "core
  9 34 content standards", which was used to describe the assessment
  9 35 standards adopted by the state board, is replaced with the term
 10  1 "assessment standards". The assessment standards will remain
 10  2 applicable to all students in kindergarten through grade 12 in
 10  3 every school district and accredited nonpublic school.
 10  4    The bill makes technical and corresponding changes to
 10  5 provisions which contain references to the language stricken.
 10  6    The bill takes effect upon enactment.
       LSB 1326HH (8) 86
       kh/rj