HF 2228 (LSB 5924YH (3) 88)

HOUSE FILE 2228

BY  DONAHUE, GAINES, STAED, HUNTER, BEARINGER, WESSEL-KROESCHELL, WILBURN, KURTH, EHLERT, BROWN-POWERS, WINCKLER, ABDUL-SAMAD, GASKILL, and KURTZ

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to a teaching recruitment in Iowa program within the department of education.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  256.26  Teaching recruitment in Iowa program.
   1.  Subject to an appropriation of funds by the general assembly for this purpose, there is established within the department a teaching recruitment in Iowa program to recruit and provide training and support to prepare high school students to enter the field of education by providing competitive grant awards to four school districts approved by the department to implement over a two-year period pilot programs that offer opportunities for students to explore careers in the teaching profession.
   2.  The department shall establish a process and criteria for the application and approval of four pilot programs. Grant applications shall, at a minimum, be assessed by the department based on the whether an application meets all of the following conditions: 
   a.  Focuses recruitment efforts on encouraging secondary students to consider and explore careers in the field of education by providing a teacher mentor for any subject area in primary education.
   b.  A secondary school curriculum that provides future educators with opportunities to observe classroom instruction and preteaching internships at all primary grade levels, to tutor primary students and assist the mentor teacher, and to familiarize students with lesson planning, learning styles, student learning data and information, academic disparities among student subgroups, cultural competency, college success and workforce skills, and education policy. 
   c.  Provides through a guidance counselor academic and community support services to help students overcome potential barriers to becoming future educators, including but not limited to supplemental tutoring, advice on college readiness and college course selection, college applications, financial aid processes, financial education opportunities, and mentoring.
   d.  Provides flexibility in student schedules so the student can meet graduation requirements while meeting the educational goals of the program.
   e.  Demonstrates ability to partner secondary and primary schools and the ability to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. 
   f.  Any additional criteria as determined by the department. However, grant criteria shall not include minimum course hour requirements.
   3.  Grants shall be awarded to applicant school districts as follows:
   a.  Two grant awards to school districts with enrollments of less than three thousand students.
   b.  Two grant awards to school districts with enrollments greater than three thousand students. One of the school districts selected under this paragraph shall be located in a city with a population greater than one hundred twenty thousand but less than one hundred forty thousand according to the 2010 federal decennial census.
   4.  Grant moneys awarded to school districts shall be used to administer the pilot program and a portion may be used to provide stipends to mentor teachers in the program. The department may use not more than five percent of the moneys appropriated for purposes of the program to administer the program. 
   5.  a.  School districts awarded grants under this program shall evaluate the program based on guidance provided from the department and shall submit a preliminary report on the effectiveness of the program to the department by November 1 following the first year of implementation and a final report on the effectiveness of the program by November 1 following the second year of implementation. 
   b.  Within two months of receiving the final report, the department shall summarize the reports received from the school districts and submit the summary and the department’s findings and recommendations regarding the effectiveness of the program in recruiting young people into the teaching profession and regarding continuation or modification of the program to the general assembly.
   6.  The state board shall adopt rules under chapter 17A to administer this section.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill establishes, subject to an appropriation from the general assembly, a teaching recruitment in Iowa program within the department of education for purposes of recruiting and providing training and support to prepare secondary school students to eventually enter the field of education by providing competitive grant awards to four school districts approved by the department to implement over a two-year period pilot programs that offer opportunities for students to explore careers in the teaching profession. 
   The bill provides conditions applicants must meet in order to qualify for approval and directs the department to establish a process and criteria for the application and approval of the four pilot programs. Two grants shall be awarded to school districts with enrollments of less than 3,000 students; and two grants shall be awarded to school districts with enrollments greater than 3,000 students, one of which shall be located in a city with a population greater than 120,000 but less than 140,000 according to the 2010 federal decennial census. 
   Grant moneys shall be used by school districts to administer the program and a portion may be used for mentor teacher stipends. Of any moneys appropriated, the department may use not more than 5 percent to administer the program. 
   A school district awarded a grant must evaluate the program based on guidance provided from the department and shall submit to the department a preliminary report and a final report on the effectiveness of the program. Within two months of receiving the final report, the department must summarize the reports received and submit its summary and findings and recommendations to the general assembly. 
   The state board of education is directed to adopt rules to administer the program.