House File 2198 - Introduced



                                       HOUSE FILE       
                                       BY  WISE and RAECKER


    Passed House,  Date               Passed Senate, Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to statewide core content and performance
  2    standards and assessments for kindergarten through grade
  3    twelve.
  4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  5 TLSB 5828YH 82
  6 kh/nh/8

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 256.7, subsection 21, paragraph b, Code
  1  2 Supplement 2007, is amended to read as follows:
  1  3    b.  A set of core academic indicators in mathematics and
  1  4 reading in grades four, eight, and eleven, a set of core
  1  5 academic indicators in science in grades eight and eleven, and
  1  6 another set of core indicators that includes, but is not
  1  7 limited to, data from the assessments administered pursuant to
  1  8 subsection 29, graduation rate, postsecondary education, and
  1  9 successful employment in Iowa.  Annually, the department shall
  1 10 report state data for each indicator in the condition of
  1 11 education report.
  1 12    Sec. 2.  Section 256.7, subsection 28, Code Supplement
  1 13 2007, is amended to read as follows:
  1 14    28.  a.  (1)  Adopt a set of by rule, for implementation by
  1 15 July 1, 2010, core content and performance standards
  1 16 applicable to all students in kindergarten through grade
  1 17 twelve in every school district and accredited nonpublic
  1 18 school.  The board shall consider the recommendations of the
  1 19 task force convened by the director in accordance with
  1 20 subparagraph (2).  The board shall establish criteria to
  1 21 ensure that the standards adopted are rigorous and support
  1 22 best practices.  However, the standards adopted shall not
  1 23 exceed in scope or depth the curriculum that can be reasonably
  1 24 taught in the instructional time available.  Prior to
  1 25 adoption, the board shall submit the proposed standards to an
  1 26 external, nonprofit educational organization for an
  1 27 independent review.  The results of the review shall be posted
  1 28 on the department's internet web site.
  1 29    (2)  Recommended core content and performance standards
  1 30 shall be developed by a task force convened by the director of
  1 31 the department.  The task force shall be comprised of
  1 32 teachers, school administrators, higher education faculty who
  1 33 teach in the subjects for which the standards are being
  1 34 adopted, private sector employers, and members of the boards
  1 35 of directors of school districts.  The task force shall review
  2  1 the national assessment of educational progress standards and
  2  2 standards adopted by other states.  The director shall provide
  2  3 one staff person at a minimum who is qualified by education
  2  4 and experience in developing content and performance standards
  2  5 to assist the task force.  Members of the task force shall be
  2  6 allowed their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the
  2  7 performance of their duties.  All expenses shall be paid from
  2  8 appropriations to the department.  The task force shall submit
  2  9 its recommendations to the state board of education by January
  2 10 2, 2009.  The task force may be reconvened whenever the
  2 11 director of the department determines there is a need to
  2 12 review or amend the core content and performance standards.
  2 13    b.  For purposes of this subsection, "core content
  2 14 standards" includes The core content standards for
  2 15 kindergarten through grade six shall include reading and
  2 16 writing, mathematics, and science, while the core content
  2 17 standards for grades seven through twelve shall include
  2 18 English and language arts, mathematics, science, history and
  2 19 social studies, and art.  The core content standards shall be
  2 20 identical to the core content standards included in Iowa's
  2 21 approved 2006 standards and assessment system under Title I of
  2 22 the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, 20
  2 23 U.S.C. } 6301 et seq., as amended by the federal No Child Left
  2 24 Behind Act of 2001, Pub. L. No. 107=110.  School districts and
  2 25 accredited nonpublic schools shall include, at a minimum, the
  2 26 core content and performance standards adopted pursuant to
  2 27 this subsection in any set of locally developed content
  2 28 standards.  School districts and accredited nonpublic schools
  2 29 are strongly encouraged to include the voluntary model core
  2 30 curriculum or set higher expectations in local standards.  As
  2 31 changes in federal law or regulation occur, the state board is
  2 32 authorized to amend the core content standards as appropriate.
  2 33    c.  The performance standards are grade=level expectations
  2 34 which shall be aligned to the core content standards adopted
  2 35 pursuant to this subsection.  The performance standards shall
  3  1 specify expectations for students' knowledge and performance
  3  2 at the end of a given grade level.  The performance standards
  3  3 for kindergarten through grade six shall include reading and
  3  4 writing, mathematics, and science, and for grades seven
  3  5 through twelve shall include English and language arts,
  3  6 mathematics, science, history and social studies, and art.
  3  7    d.  The board shall require each school district to align
  3  8 the local curriculum, instructional materials, and classroom
  3  9 instruction to the standards adopted and to submit evidence of
  3 10 such alignment satisfactory to the department.
  3 11    e.  A student shall not be denied curriculum and
  3 12 instruction consistent with the core content standards which
  3 13 offer the student an opportunity to become proficient on the
  3 14 performance standards adopted pursuant to this subsection.
  3 15    Sec. 3.  Section 256.7, Code Supplement 2007, is amended by
  3 16 adding the following new subsections:
  3 17    NEW SUBSECTION.  29.  Adopt grade level assessments for
  3 18 each of the core content standard subjects.  The board shall
  3 19 require school districts to administer the assessments to
  3 20 students in grades four, eight, and eleven.  Where possible,
  3 21 the assessments shall be psychometrically equated to
  3 22 proficiency on the national assessment for educational
  3 23 progress.  The assessment results shall be reported annually
  3 24 to the department and the local community in accordance with
  3 25 subsection 21.
  3 26    NEW SUBSECTION.  30.  Adopt assessments which the board
  3 27 shall require school districts to administer to students at
  3 28 the end of each unit of algebra, advanced algebra, geometry,
  3 29 biology, chemistry, physics, and fourth=year English.
  3 30 Advanced placement examinations may be substituted for the
  3 31 end=of=unit examination.  A student's score on an end=of=unit
  3 32 examination shall be placed in the student's permanent record.
  3 33    Sec. 4.  Section 256.9, Code Supplement 2007, is amended by
  3 34 adding the following new subsection:
  3 35    NEW SUBSECTION.  57.  Develop and deliver, in collaboration
  4  1 with the institutions of higher education governed by the
  4  2 state board of regents and the area education agencies,
  4  3 subject matter and grade=level specific training for teachers
  4  4 and administrators in standards=based curriculum development
  4  5 and standards=based instruction.
  4  6    Sec. 5.  STATE MANDATE FUNDING SPECIFIED.  In accordance
  4  7 with section 25B.2, subsection 3, the state cost of requiring
  4  8 compliance with any state mandate included in this Act shall
  4  9 be paid by a school district from state school foundation aid
  4 10 received by the school district under section 257.16.  This
  4 11 specification of the payment of the state cost shall be deemed
  4 12 to meet all of the state funding=related requirements of
  4 13 section 25B.2, subsection 3, and no additional state funding
  4 14 shall be necessary for the full implementation of this Act by
  4 15 and enforcement of this Act against all affected school
  4 16 districts.
  4 17                           EXPLANATION
  4 18    This bill requires the state board of education to adopt by
  4 19 rule core content and performance standards for implementation
  4 20 by July 1, 2010; requires the board to adopt assessments for
  4 21 grade levels and subject areas; and requires school districts
  4 22 to incorporate the standards and administer the assessments.
  4 23    The bill expands on the core content standards requirements
  4 24 already established in the Code by providing that the content
  4 25 standards for kindergarten through grade six must include
  4 26 reading and writing, mathematics, and science, while the
  4 27 standards for grades seven through 12 must include English and
  4 28 language arts, mathematics, science, history and social
  4 29 studies, and art.  The board must establish criteria to ensure
  4 30 that the standards are rigorous and support best practices,
  4 31 but the standards are not to exceed in scope or depth the
  4 32 curriculum which may be reasonably taught in the instructional
  4 33 time available.
  4 34    The performance standards, or grade=level expectations,
  4 35 must be aligned to the core content standards and must specify
  5  1 what all students should know and be able to do at the end of
  5  2 a given grade level.
  5  3    Recommended core content and performance standards are to
  5  4 be developed by a task force convened by the director of the
  5  5 department of education and consisting of representatives from
  5  6 education and business.  The task force shall review national
  5  7 standards and standards adopted by other states and submit
  5  8 recommended standards to the state board by January 2, 2009.
  5  9 Prior to adoption, the board must submit the proposed
  5 10 standards to an external organization for an independent
  5 11 review, the results of which shall be posted on the
  5 12 department's web site.
  5 13    Each school district must align the local curriculum,
  5 14 instructional materials, and classroom instruction to the
  5 15 standards and submit evidence of such alignment satisfactory
  5 16 to the department.  School districts must administer grade=
  5 17 level assessments at a minimum at grades four, eight, and 11.
  5 18 Students cannot be denied curriculum and instruction
  5 19 consistent with the standards.  The results must be submitted
  5 20 annually with the core academic indicator data required under
  5 21 Code section 256.7, subsection 21.
  5 22    The state board must also adopt assessments which the board
  5 23 shall require school districts to administer to students at
  5 24 the end of each unit of algebra, advanced algebra, geometry,
  5 25 biology, chemistry, physics, and fourth=year English.  The
  5 26 student may substitute an advanced placement examination.  The
  5 27 results must be placed in the student's permanent record.
  5 28    The bill also requires the department to develop and
  5 29 deliver, in collaboration with the regents universities and
  5 30 area education agencies, subject matter and grade=level
  5 31 specific training for teachers and administrators in
  5 32 standards=based curriculum development and standards=based
  5 33 instruction.
  5 34    The bill makes conforming changes by providing that a set
  5 35 of core academic indicators required currently must include
  6  1 data from the assessments administered in accordance with the
  6  2 bill in a report to the department.
  6  3    The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code
  6  4 section 25B.3.  The bill requires that the state cost of any
  6  5 state mandate included in the bill be paid by a school
  6  6 district from state school foundation aid received by the
  6  7 school district under Code section 257.16.  The specification
  6  8 is deemed to constitute state compliance with any state
  6  9 mandate funding=related requirements of Code section 25B.2.
  6 10 The inclusion of this specification is intended to reinstate
  6 11 the requirement of political subdivisions to comply with any
  6 12 state mandates included in the bill.
  6 13 LSB 5828YH 82
  6 14 kh/nh/8