HF 142 (LSB 1397YH (5) 85)

HOUSE FILE 142

BY  WINCKLER, WESSEL-KROESCHELL, LUNDBY, KAJTAZOVIC, ANDERSON, THEDE, BERRY, RUFF, STECKMAN, THOMAS, HUNTER, WOOD, KELLEY, LENSING, JACOBY, HANSON, GAINES, ABDUL-SAMAD, and R. OLSON

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to student performance by establishing an education remediation council and an advanced placement funding formula.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  256.27  Education remediation council.
   1.  An education remediation council is established consisting of eight members appointed as follows:
   a.  One member representing the community colleges appointed by the president of the Iowa association of community college presidents.
   b.  One member representing the accredited private institutions appointed by the president of the Iowa association of independent colleges and universities.
   c.  One member representing the institutions of higher education governed by the state board of regents appointed by the president of the state board of regents.
   d.  One member representing the practitioner preparation programs at institutions of higher education governed by the state board of regents appointed by the president of the state board of regents.
   e.  One member representing school districts appointed by the president of the Iowa association of school boards.
   f.  One member representing accredited nonpublic schools appointed by the director of the department of education.
   g.  One member representing the department of education appointed by the director of the department of education.
   h.  One member representing the area education agencies appointed by the area education agency administrators.
   2.  Council members shall serve three-year terms beginning and ending as provided in section 69.19, and appointments shall comply with sections 69.16, 69.16A, and 69.16C. Vacancies on the council shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. A person appointed to fill a vacancy shall serve only for the unexpired portion of the term. Council members are entitled to receive reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses incurred while engaged in the performance of official duties, but shall not receive a per diem.
   3.  The member representing the department of education shall convene the initial meeting. The council shall elect one of its members as chairperson. The council shall meet at least quarterly, and at any time on the call of the chairperson.
   4.  The department shall provide staffing services for the council.
   5.
  a.  Prior to the initial meeting of the council, the member representing the community colleges shall convene a meeting of members appointed pursuant to subsection 1, paragraphs “a” through “d” to define “remediation” for purposes of the council and outline the skills and expectations for postsecondary level attendance. The definitions and outline shall be distributed and discussed at the initial council meeting. 
   b.  The council shall identify measures to help students transition from the secondary to the postsecondary level, to limit the costs of remediation at the postsecondary level, to define and standardize the skill sets that determine the need for remediation, and to create effective partnerships between secondary schools and higher education institutions. The council shall review activities and services designed to align school district curricula with core postsecondary level requirements and decrease the need for remedial coursework at the secondary school grade level through grade sixteen. The council shall develop strategies to strengthen grade nine through grade sixteen standards, competencies, and assessment systems, and the professional development of teachers. For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2013, the council shall focus on mathematics and English remediation measures.
   6.  The council shall submit its findings and recommendations in a report to the state board of education and the general assembly by November 15 annually. The state board and department of education shall use the findings and recommendations to strengthen the common core curriculum and core content standards for secondary schools.
    Sec. 2.  NEW SECTION.  257.16B  Advanced placement performance funding.
   1.  For purposes of this section, “advanced placement student” means a student who was enrolled in the school district during the school year preceding the base year, who was enrolled in one or more advanced placement courses during such school year as provided under section 261E.4, and who achieved a score on the advanced placement examination for at least one such course of three or higher on the advanced placement five-point scale.
   2.  For budget years beginning on or after July 1, 2015, the department of management shall allocate from amounts appropriated by the general assembly to the department of management, and from other moneys available to and obtained or accepted by the department of management, for the purpose of providing advanced placement performance funding for school districts as provided in this section.
   a.  The department of education shall certify to the department of management the total number of advanced placement students enrolled in each school district.
   b.  The department of management shall on or before July 1 of the budget year notify each school district of the amount of advanced placement performance funding under this section.
   3.
  a.  A school district shall receive an amount equal to the school district’s total number of advanced placement students divided by the total number of advanced placement students in the state, multiplied by the amount of moneys available under subsection 1 to provide advanced placement performance funding for the budget year.
   b.  Payments made to school districts under this section are miscellaneous income and may be used for any school district general fund purpose.
   4.  The state board of education shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A necessary to administer this section, including rules that prescribe all necessary reporting requirements for school districts.
EXPLANATION
   This bill relates to student performance by establishing an education remediation council charged with identifying measures to help students transition from the secondary to postsecondary level and to limit the costs of remediation at the postsecondary level; and by establishing an advanced placement performance funding formula to provide for distribution of any funds made available for that purpose to school districts with students who have received a score of three or higher on an advanced placement examination. 
   The education remediation council consists of eight members appointed to three-year terms as follows: one member representing the community colleges appointed by the president of the Iowa association of community college presidents; one member representing the accredited private institutions appointed by the president of the Iowa association of independent colleges and universities; one member representing the regents universities and one member representing the practitioner preparation programs at the regents universities, both appointed by the president of the state board of regents; one member representing school districts appointed by the president of the Iowa association of school boards; one member representing accredited nonpublic schools and one member representing the department of education, both appointed by the director of the department of education; and one member representing the area education agencies appointed by the area education agency administrators. 
   The member representing the department of education shall convene the initial meeting. The council shall elect one of its members as chairperson. The council shall meet at least quarterly, and at any time on the call of the chairperson. The department shall provide staffing services for the council. 
   Prior to the initial meeting of the council, the member representing the community colleges shall convene a meeting of members representing community colleges, accredited private institutions, and regents universities and practitioner preparation programs to define “remediation” for purposes of the council and outline the skills and expectations for postsecondary level attendance. The definitions and outline shall be distributed and discussed at the initial council meeting. 
   The council shall identify measures to help students transition from the secondary to the postsecondary level, limit the cost of remediation, define and standardize the skill sets that determine the need for remediation, and create effective partnerships between secondary schools and higher education institutions. The council shall review activities and services designed to align school district curricula with core postsecondary level requirements and decrease the need for remedial coursework at the secondary school grade level through grade 16. The council shall develop strategies to strengthen grade 9 through grade 16 standards, competencies, and assessment systems, and the professional development of teachers. For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2013, the council shall focus on mathematics and English remediation measures. 
   The council shall submit its findings and recommendations in a report to the state board of education and the general assembly by November 15 annually. The state board and department of education shall use the findings and recommendations to strengthen the common core curriculum and core content standards of secondary schools.