House File 403 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 403 BY WINCKLER , WESSEL-KROESCHELL , LENSING , BERRY , JACOBY , KRESSIG , GAINES , ABDUL-SAMAD , KAJTAZOVIC , HUNTER , MASCHER , STUTSMAN , and HEDDENS A BILL FOR An Act relating to specific criteria for teacher preparation 1 and including effective date provisions. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 2383HH (12) 85 kh/rj

H.F. 403 Section 1. Section 256.16, subsection 1, paragraph a, 1 subparagraph (2), Code 2013, is amended to read as follows: 2 (2) Administer , prior to a student’s completion of the 3 practitioner preparation program and subject to the director’s 4 approval, subject assessments designed by a nationally 5 recognized testing service that measure pedagogy and knowledge 6 of at least one subject area; or, a valid and reliable 7 subject-area-specific discipline-specific , performance-based 8 assessment for preservice teacher candidates, centered on 9 student learning. A student shall not successfully complete 10 the program unless the student achieves scores above the 11 twenty-fifth percentile nationally on the assessments 12 administered pursuant to this subparagraph The practitioner 13 preparation program may determine whether to administer the 14 subject and pedagogy assessments or the discipline-specific, 15 performance-based assessment to a student . 16 Sec. 2. Section 256.16, subsection 1, Code 2013, is amended 17 by adding the following new paragraph: 18 NEW PARAGRAPH . d. Work with the board of educational 19 examiners to develop valid and reliable pathways to licensure 20 by subject area which a student enrolled in the program may 21 elect to pursue. 22 Sec. 3. Section 256.16, Code 2013, is amended by adding the 23 following new subsection: 24 NEW SUBSECTION . 3. a. A council on pathways to licensure 25 is established, administratively attached to the board of 26 educational examiners, to identify appropriate levels of 27 proficiency in each licensure pathway developed pursuant to 28 subsection 1, paragraph “d” and to periodically review the 29 levels of proficiency in each licensure pathway. The council 30 shall consist of the director of the department of education, 31 or the director’s designee, and the remaining members shall be 32 appointed by the executive director of the board of educational 33 examiners as follows: 34 (1) Three practitioner preparation program faculty members, 35 -1- LSB 2383HH (12) 85 kh/rj 1/ 5

H.F. 403 who shall represent accredited private institutions offering 1 practitioner preparation programs approved pursuant to section 2 256.7, subsection 3. 3 (2) Three practitioner preparation program faculty members 4 who shall represent institutions of higher learning governed by 5 the state board of regents offering practitioner preparation 6 programs approved pursuant to section 256.7, subsection 3. 7 b. Members appointed pursuant to paragraph “a” , 8 subparagraphs (1) and (2) shall serve staggered four-year terms 9 beginning and ending as provided in section 69.19. A vacancy 10 shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment 11 and shall be for the remainder of the unexpired term of the 12 vacancy. The council shall elect a chairperson and vice 13 chairperson. The council shall meet regularly as determined by 14 the council, upon the call of the chairperson, or upon the call 15 of a majority of the members. Members shall be reimbursed for 16 actual and necessary expenses incurred in performance of their 17 duties. The board of educational examiners shall provide staff 18 assistance and administrative support to the council. 19 c. The council shall assist the board of educational 20 examiners and the state board in resolving issues which are 21 directly related to pathways to licensure and practitioner 22 preparation programs. The council shall determine, and shall 23 periodically review, targeted proficiency levels for the 24 assessments administered pursuant to section 256.16, subsection 25 1, paragraph “a” , subparagraph (2), which shall be adopted 26 by rule by the state board. The council shall formulate 27 recommendations on any issue referred to it by the board of 28 educational examiners or the state board and shall submit 29 its recommendations to both boards within any specified time 30 periods. The council shall submit an annual report with its 31 findings and recommendations, including any recommendations 32 for changes in law or policy, to the board of educational 33 examiners, the state board, the governor, and the general 34 assembly by January 15. 35 -2- LSB 2383HH (12) 85 kh/rj 2/ 5

H.F. 403 Sec. 4. COUNCIL ON PATHWAYS TO LICENSURE —— INITIAL 1 RECOMMENDATIONS —— INITIAL MEMBERSHIP TERMS. 2 1. Notwithstanding section 256.16, subsection 3, paragraph 3 “c”, the council on pathways to licensure shall submit an 4 initial report, including its findings and recommendations for 5 changes in law or policy, by November 15, 2013, to the state 6 board of education, the board of educational examiners, the 7 governor, and general assembly, and shall submit its first 8 annual report to the state board of education, the board of 9 educational examiners, the governor, and general assembly by 10 January 15, 2015. 11 2. Initial appointments to the council on pathways to 12 licensure made pursuant to section 256.16, subsection 3, 13 paragraph “a”, subparagraphs (1) and (2) shall be for terms as 14 follows: Two members shall be appointed for two-year terms, 15 two members shall be appointed for three-year terms, and two 16 members shall be appointed for four-year terms. The initial 17 members shall be appointed by July 1, 2013, to terms that 18 expire at 12:00 midnight on April 30 in the year of expiration. 19 Sec. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. The following provision or 20 provisions of this Act take effect July 1, 2014: 21 1. The section of this Act amending section 256.16, 22 subsection 1, paragraph “a”, subparagraph (2). 23 EXPLANATION 24 This bill modifies practitioner preparation program 25 requirements specified in Code section 256.16. The programs 26 are currently approved by the state board of education. 27 Currently, the programs are required to administer subject 28 assessments and performance-based assessments. The bill 29 requires that the performance-based assessments must be 30 discipline-specific, rather than subject-area specific; and 31 allows practitioner preparation programs to determine whether 32 to administer the subject and pedagogy or the performance-based 33 assessments to a student. The bill eliminates a provision that 34 requires students to achieve a score above the 25th percentile 35 -3- LSB 2383HH (12) 85 kh/rj 3/ 5

H.F. 403 nationally on the assessment in order to complete the program. 1 These provisions take effect July 1, 2014. 2 The bill also requires the programs to work with the board of 3 educational examiners to develop valid and reliable pathways to 4 licensure by subject area and allows students to choose which 5 pathway to pursue. 6 The bill establishes a council on pathways to licensure, 7 attached to the board of educational examiners, to identify 8 appropriate levels of proficiency in each licensure pathway 9 and to periodically review the levels of proficiency in each 10 licensure pathway. The council consists of the director of the 11 department of education, or the director’s designee, and six 12 members appointed to four-year staggered terms by the executive 13 director of the board of educational examiners to represent 14 the practitioner preparation programs offered by the regents 15 universities and three practitioner preparation programs 16 offered by accredited private institutions. 17 The board of educational examiners shall provide staff 18 assistance and administrative support to the council. 19 The council shall assist both the board of educational 20 examiners and the state board in resolving issues which are 21 directly related to pathways to licensure and practitioner 22 preparation programs. The council shall formulate 23 recommendations on any issue referred to it by those boards 24 and shall submit its recommendations within any specified time 25 periods. The council shall determine, and shall periodically 26 review, targeted proficiency levels for the assessments 27 administered pursuant to section 256.16, subsection 1, 28 paragraph “a”, subparagraph (2), which shall be adopted by 29 rule by the state board. The council shall submit an annual 30 report with its findings and recommendations, including any 31 recommendations for changes in law or policy, to the boards, 32 the governor, and the general assembly by January 15. However, 33 the initial report shall be submitted by November 15, 2013, and 34 the first annual report shall be submitted by January 15, 2015. 35 -4- LSB 2383HH (12) 85 kh/rj 4/ 5

H.F. 403 The initial board members shall be appointed to staggered terms 1 which begin July 1, 2013, and expire on April 30 in the year of 2 expiration. 3 -5- LSB 2383HH (12) 85 kh/rj 5/ 5