Bill Text: IA HF428 | 2015-2016 | 86th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to establishment of an attendance center performance scoring system by the department of education.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-03-02 - Introduced, referred to Education. H.J. 432. [HF428 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2015-HF428-Introduced.html
House File 428 - Introduced HOUSE FILE BY WINCKLER, RUFF, ABDUL=SAMAD, GAINES, HANSON, STAED, and STECKMAN A BILL FOR 1 An Act relating to establishment of an attendance center 2 performance scoring system by the department of education. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: TLSB 2340YH (7) 86 kh/rj PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 256.34 Attendance center 1 2 performance scoring system. 1 3 1. For the purpose of this section, "achievement growth" 1 4 means a valid and reliable measurement of academic progress 1 5 over an academic year that exceeds the normative peer reference 1 6 group's rate of academic progress during the same academic 1 7 year. 1 8 2. The department shall develop an attendance center 1 9 performance scoring system that calculates aggregate growth as 1 10 well as aggregate proficiency of students which when combined 1 11 with other academic indicators results in an overall school 1 12 performance score for each attendance center and for the entire 1 13 school district. This information must be posted on the 1 14 department's internet site with information for each attendance 1 15 center listed separately. 1 16 3. The department shall develop criteria and a process 1 17 for school districts to use to establish specific performance 1 18 goals and to evaluate the performance of each attendance 1 19 center operated by the school district in order to arrive at 1 20 an overall school performance score for each attendance center 1 21 as well as for the entire school district. The criteria shall 1 22 include but not be limited to student achievement growth, 1 23 parent involvement, student attendance, employee turnover, and 1 24 community activities and involvement. 1 25 4. The department shall develop a student achievement 1 26 growth indicator that acknowledges attendance centers whose 1 27 annual rates of student achievement growth are higher than the 1 28 statewide average annual rate of student achievement growth. 1 29 The criteria for student achievement growth shall recognize 1 30 an attendance center or school district whose students, 1 31 in one academic year, achieve two or more academic years 1 32 of academic progress in comparison with the normative peer 1 33 reference group. Additionally, a closing gap score shall be 1 34 calculated as another measure to determine subgroup performance 1 35 and to rank and classify attendance centers. Other academic 2 1 indicators shall be defined as criterion=referenced variables 2 2 and shall include but not be limited to graduation rates and 2 3 college=readiness rates. Additional indicators of achievement 2 4 and progress may include post=graduation data, suspension 2 5 and expulsion rates, levels of student engagement, parent 2 6 satisfaction, parent engagement, and staff working conditions. 2 7 5. The overall school performance score may be used to do 2 8 the following: 2 9 a. Determine the level of support and specialized assistance 2 10 which must be provided to schools scoring at the lowest 2 11 performance levels statewide. 2 12 b. Recognize and share the best practices of schools scoring 2 13 at the highest performance levels statewide. 2 14 6. By June 30, 2015, the department shall provide technical 2 15 support and services to school districts for purposes of 2 16 aligning the attendance center performance scoring system 2 17 outcomes with the accreditation standards and process 2 18 established under section 256.11. The department shall release 2 19 the attendance center performance scoring system's scores and 2 20 ranking data to the school districts beginning September 1, 2 21 2016, and annually by September 1 thereafter. The department 2 22 shall release the attendance center performance scoring 2 23 system's scores and ranking data to the public no sooner than 2 24 October 1, 2016, and annually by October 1 thereafter. 2 25 Sec. 2. 2013 Iowa Acts, chapter 121, section 73, is amended 2 26 by striking the section. 2 27 Sec. 3. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS 2 28 BY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. From July 1, 2015, through 2 29 August 31, 2016, the department shall provide professional 2 30 development to school district instructional staff relating 2 31 to Iowa's differentiated accountability model. At a minimum, 2 32 the professional development opportunities shall include 2 33 definitions of the metrics included in the attendance center 2 34 performance scoring system's rankings, resources and suggested 2 35 best instructional practices for school districts in the 3 1 lower half of the rankings, and assistance with communication 3 2 templates and strategies school districts may use to explain to 3 3 the community in clear and concise terms for a diverse audience 3 4 the rankings and their significance in identifying areas for 3 5 improvement at attendance centers and in school districts. 3 6 EXPLANATION 3 7 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 3 8 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly. 3 9 This bill directs the department of education to develop an 3 10 attendance center performance scoring system that calculates 3 11 aggregate growth as well as aggregate proficiency of students 3 12 which when combined with other academic indicators results in 3 13 an overall school performance score for each attendance center 3 14 and for the entire school district, to publish the results 3 15 on the department's internet site, and by June 30, 2015, to 3 16 provide technical support and services to school districts for 3 17 purposes of aligning the attendance center performance scoring 3 18 system outcomes with the accreditation standards and process 3 19 established under Code section 256.11. 3 20 The department shall develop criteria and a process for 3 21 school districts to use to establish specific performance 3 22 goals and to evaluate the performance of each attendance 3 23 center operated by the school district in order to arrive at 3 24 an overall school performance score for each attendance center 3 25 as well as for the entire school district. The criteria shall 3 26 include but not be limited to student achievement growth, 3 27 parent involvement, student attendance, employee turnover, and 3 28 community activities and involvement. 3 29 The department shall develop a student achievement growth 3 30 indicator and criteria that acknowledge attendance centers 3 31 whose annual rates of student achievement growth are higher 3 32 than the statewide average annual rate of student achievement 3 33 growth, and a closing gap score shall be calculated as another 3 34 measure to determine subgroup performance and to rank and 3 35 classify attendance centers. Other academic indicators shall 4 1 be defined as criterion=referenced variables and shall include 4 2 but not be limited to graduation rates and college=readiness 4 3 rates. Additional indicators of achievement and progress may 4 4 include post=graduation data, suspension and expulsion rates, 4 5 levels of student engagement, parent satisfaction, parent 4 6 engagement, and staff working conditions. 4 7 The overall school performance score may be used to 4 8 determine the level of support and specialized assistance which 4 9 must be provided to schools scoring at the lowest performance 4 10 levels statewide, and to recognize and share the best practices 4 11 of schools scoring at the highest performance levels statewide. 4 12 The department shall release the attendance center scores 4 13 and ranking data to districts beginning September 1, 2016, 4 14 and annually by September 1 thereafter. The department shall 4 15 release the attendance center scores and ranking data to the 4 16 public annually no sooner than October 1, 2016, and annually 4 17 by October 1 thereafter. 4 18 The department is directed to provide, from July 1, 2015, 4 19 through August 31, 2016, professional development to school 4 20 district instructional staff relating to Iowa's differentiated 4 21 accountability model. At a minimum, the professional 4 22 development opportunities shall include definitions of the 4 23 metrics included in the attendance center rankings resources 4 24 and suggested best instructional practices for districts in the 4 25 lower half of the rankings, and assistance with communication 4 26 templates and strategies school districts may use to explain to 4 27 the community in clear and concise terms for a diverse audience 4 28 the rankings and their significance in identifying areas for 4 29 improvement at attendance centers and in school districts. 4 30 The bill strikes a provision established in session law 4 31 in 2013 directing the department to develop and establish 4 32 attendance center performance rankings and to submit its 4 33 findings and recommendations in a report to the state board of 4 34 education, the governor, and the general assembly by July 1, 4 35 2014. LSB 2340YH (7) 86 kh/rj
