Senate File 480 - Introduced SENATE FILE 480 BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION (SUCCESSOR TO SF 353) A BILL FOR An Act requesting the establishment of an interim committee 1 to study the feasibility of allowing a day of virtual 2 instruction to count as a minimum school day when inclement 3 weather causes schools to close. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 2376SV (2) 88 kh/jh

S.F. 480 Section 1. INTERIM STUDY COMMITTEE —— VIRTUAL INSTRUCTIONAL 1 DAYS. 2 1. The legislative council is requested to establish an 3 interim study committee to study and make recommendations 4 relating to the feasibility of allowing school districts 5 and accredited nonpublic schools to count a day of virtual 6 instruction as a minimum school day when inclement weather 7 causes schools to close and instructional staff and students 8 engage in curriculum-aligned instructional and learning 9 opportunities from home. 10 2. The study committee shall review and provide an analysis 11 of the following: 12 a. School districts or accredited nonpublic schools in Iowa 13 currently offering virtual instructional days. 14 b. Authorization of virtual instructional days by other 15 states. 16 c. Potential barriers to allowing school districts and 17 accredited schools to count virtual instructional days as 18 minimum school days to avoid extending the school calendar. 19 d. Opportunities to overcome the barriers identified under 20 paragraph “c” without need for new state funding. 21 e. Potential impacts and barriers relating to the use of 22 technology to offer virtual instructional days by students for 23 classes and other scheduled school-related academic activities, 24 including but not limited to use by students who are limited 25 English proficient, children requiring special education, 26 students enrolled in advanced placement courses and concurrent 27 enrollment courses, and other nontraditional students for 28 nonstandard classes. 29 f. Best practices for utilizing virtual instructional days 30 as minimum school days. 31 3. The study committee may review and provide an analysis of 32 other potential solutions for successfully providing student 33 instruction on a day when inclement weather causes schools to 34 close. 35 -1- LSB 2376SV (2) 88 kh/jh 1/ 2

S.F. 480 4. The study committee shall submit a report with its 1 analysis, findings, and recommendations to the general assembly 2 by December 20, 2019. 3 EXPLANATION 4 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 5 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 6 This bill requests the legislative council to establish 7 an interim study committee to study and make recommendations 8 relating to the feasibility of allowing school districts 9 and accredited nonpublic schools to count a day of virtual 10 instruction as a minimum school day when inclement weather 11 causes schools to close and instructional staff and students 12 engage in curriculum-aligned instructional and learning 13 opportunities from home. 14 The study committee shall review and provide an analysis 15 of school districts or accredited nonpublic schools in Iowa 16 currently offering virtual instructional days; authorization of 17 virtual instructional days by other states; potential barriers 18 to allowing virtual instructional days to be counted as minimum 19 school days; opportunities to overcome such barriers without 20 need for new state funding; potential impacts and barriers 21 relating to the use of technology under virtual instructional 22 days by students who are limited English proficient, children 23 requiring special education, students enrolled in advanced 24 placement courses and concurrent enrollment courses, and other 25 nontraditional students for nonstandard classes; and best 26 practices for utilizing virtual instructional days as minimum 27 school days. 28 The study committee may review and provide an analysis of 29 other potential solutions for successfully providing student 30 instruction on a day when inclement weather causes schools to 31 close. 32 The study committee shall submit a report with its analysis, 33 findings, and recommendations to the general assembly by 34 December 20, 2019. 35 -2- LSB 2376SV (2) 88 kh/jh 2/ 2