HF 156 (LSB 1052YH (7) 85)

HOUSE FILE 156

BY  STECKMAN, WOOD, MASCHER, COHOON, RUFF, HANSON, WINCKLER, GAINES, ABDUL-SAMAD, ANDERSON, T. TAYLOR, OURTH, M. SMITH, GASKILL, R. OLSON, BERRY, KRESSIG, LYKAM, PRICHARD, KELLEY, OLDSON, FORBES, MUHLBAUER, WOLFE, KAJTAZOVIC, ISENHART, HALL, and DUNKEL

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to state funding for intensive instructional services and supports and to the retention in grade three of students who are deficient in reading and who fail to enroll in an intensive summer reading program.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 279.68, subsection 1, paragraph c, Code 2013, is amended to read as follows:
   c.  Beginning May 1, 2017, unless the school district is granted a waiver pursuant to subsection 2, paragraph “e”, if the student’s reading deficiency is not remedied by the end of grade three, as demonstrated by scoring on a locally determined or statewide assessment as provided in section 256.7, subsection 31, the school district shall notify the student’s parent or guardian that the parent or guardian may enroll the student in an intensive summer reading program offered in accordance with subsection 2, paragraph “e”. If
 
the general assembly appropriates funds as provided in subsection 2, and the parent or guardian does not enroll the student in the intensive summer reading program and the student is ineligible for the good cause exemption under subsection 5, the student shall be retained in grade three pursuant to subsection 3. If the student is exempt from participating in an intensive summer reading program for good cause, pursuant to subsection 5, or completes the intensive summer reading program but is not reading proficient upon completion of the program, the student may be promoted to grade four, but the school district shall continue to provide the student with intensive reading instruction until the student is proficient in reading as demonstrated by scoring on locally determined or statewide assessments.
    Sec. 2.  Section 279.68, subsection 2, unnumbered paragraph 1, Code 2013, is amended to read as follows:
   If funds are
 
specifically appropriated by the general assembly for purposes of implementing
 
all of this subsection, a school district shall do all of the following:
EXPLANATION
   This bill specifically makes conditional a requirement that school districts retain in grade three a student whose reading deficiency is not remedied by the end of grade three and whose parent or guardian does not enroll the student in the school district’s intensive summer reading program. The retention requirement is conditioned on the specific appropriation of funds by the general assembly to implement a current Code provision that requires school districts to provide a full range of intensive instructional services and supports to remedy reading deficiencies of students in kindergarten through grade three.