Bill Text: IA SF2171 | 2017-2018 | 87th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to subject assessment requirements for successful completion of an approved practitioner preparation program and providing for related matters. (Formerly SF 128.)
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2018-03-02 - Read first time, referred to Education. H.J. 445. [SF2171 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2017-SF2171-Introduced.html
Senate File 2171 - Introduced SENATE FILE BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION (SUCCESSOR TO SF 128) A BILL FOR 1 An Act relating to subject assessment requirements for 2 successful completion of an approved practitioner 3 preparation program and providing for related matters. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: TLSB 1893SV (2) 87 kh/rj PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 256.16, subsection 1, paragraph a, 1 2 subparagraph (2), Code 2018, is amended to read as follows: 1 3 (2) (a) Administer, prior to a student's completion of the 1 4 practitioner preparation program and subject to the director's 1 5 approval, subject assessments designed by a nationally 1 6 recognized testing service that measure pedagogy and knowledge 1 7 of at least one subject area; or, a valid and reliable 1 8 subject=area=specific, performance=based assessment for 1 9 preservice teacher candidates, centered on student learning. 1 10 A student shall not successfully complete the program unless 1 11 the student achieves scores above the twenty=fifth percentile 1 12 nationally on the assessments administered pursuant to this 1 13 subparagraph. 1 14 (b) The state board shall adopt rules to provide that 1 15 the director shall waive the assessment requirements of 1 16 subparagraph division (a) for one year for a person if the 1 17 person has received an offer for a teaching contract from 1 18 a school district or accredited nonpublic school and the 1 19 applicant submits to the director an affidavit from the 1 20 administrator of the school district or the accredited 1 21 nonpublic school verifying that the school district or 1 22 accredited nonpublic school has made every reasonable and 1 23 good=faith effort to employ a teacher licensed under chapter 1 24 272 for the specified subject and is unable to employ such a 1 25 teacher, and the person meets any of the following conditions: 1 26 (i) Completed the course requirements for an approved 1 27 practitioner preparation program but attained an assessment 1 28 score below that required for successful completion of the 1 29 program under subparagraph division (a). 1 30 (ii) Attended and successfully completed a practitioner 1 31 preparation program outside of this state that would be 1 32 considered approved by the state board except that the 1 33 program either does not require the assessments specified in 1 34 subparagraph division (a) or accepts assessment scores below 1 35 those required under subparagraph division (a). 2 1 (c) If a person receives a waiver under subparagraph 2 2 division (b) and within thirty days of receiving the waiver 2 3 submits the waiver and an application for licensure to the 2 4 board of educational examiners, the board of educational 2 5 examiners shall issue to the applicant an initial one=year 2 6 license, which shall not be renewed unless the applicant 2 7 submits evidence to the board of educational examiners that 2 8 the person has achieved the scores required in accordance with 2 9 subparagraph division (a). 2 10 Sec. 2. Section 272.2, subsection 14, paragraph b, 2 11 subparagraph (5), Code 2018, is amended to read as follows: 2 12 (5) The applicant fails to meet board standards for 2 13 application for an initial or renewed license. However, this 2 14 subparagraph shall not apply to a person who applies for an 2 15 initial one=year license and submits to the board a waiver 2 16 issued by the director of the department in accordance with 2 17 section 256.16. 2 18 EXPLANATION 2 19 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 2 20 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly. 2 21 This bill requires the director of the department of 2 22 education to waive a requirement for successful completion of a 2 23 practitioner preparation program under certain conditions and 2 24 requires the board of educational examiners, if presented with 2 25 such a waiver by an applicant for initial licensure, to issue 2 26 an initial one=year license to the applicant. 2 27 Currently, students enrolled in such a program must achieve 2 28 scores above the 25th percentile nationally on subject and 2 29 performance=based assessments before successfully completing 2 30 the program. To receive a one=year waiver from these 2 31 assessment requirements, the bill provides that a person must 2 32 have been offered a teaching contract by a school district or 2 33 accredited nonpublic school and must submit to the director 2 34 an affidavit from the administrator of the school district or 2 35 school verifying that every reasonable and good=faith effort 3 1 has been made by the school district or school to employ a 3 2 licensed teacher for the specified subject and the school 3 3 district or school is unable to do so. 3 4 If such a person applies to the board of educational 3 5 examiners within 30 days of receiving the waiver, the board 3 6 must issue the applicant an initial one=year license, which 3 7 shall not be renewed unless the person submits proof to the 3 8 board that the person has achieved the necessary assessment 3 9 scores. The bill makes a conforming change. LSB 1893SV (2) 87 kh/rj
