Senate
File
2341
-
Reprinted
SENATE
FILE
2341
BY
COMMITTEE
ON
EDUCATION
(SUCCESSOR
TO
SSB
3119)
(As
Amended
and
Passed
by
the
Senate
February
28,
2018
)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
administration
of
a
civics
examination
1
students
must
pass
as
a
condition
of
high
school
graduation
2
and
for
issuance
of
a
high
school
equivalency
diploma
and
3
including
applicability
provisions.
4
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
5
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2341
Section
1.
Section
256.9,
Code
2018,
is
amended
by
adding
1
the
following
new
subsection:
2
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
60.
Approve
alternative
assessment
3
measures
pursuant
to
section
280.9A,
subsection
1,
paragraph
4
“b”
.
5
Sec.
2.
Section
259A.1,
Code
2018,
is
amended
to
read
as
6
follows:
7
259A.1
Assessment
of
competency.
8
The
department
of
education
shall
cause
to
be
made
available
9
for
qualified
individuals
a
high
school
equivalency
diploma.
10
The
diploma
shall
be
issued
on
the
basis
of
demonstrated
11
to
qualified
individuals
who
successfully
pass
the
civics
12
examination
as
set
forth
in
section
280.9A,
and
demonstrate
13
competence
in
all
of
the
following
core
areas:
reading,
14
language
arts,
literacy,
mathematics,
science,
and
social
15
studies.
16
Sec.
3.
Section
280.9A,
subsection
1,
Code
2018,
is
amended
17
to
read
as
follows:
18
1.
The
board
of
directors
of
each
local
public
school
19
district
and
the
authorities
in
charge
of
each
nonpublic
school
20
shall
require
that
all
students
in
grades
nine
through
twelve
21
successfully
complete
or
pass,
as
applicable
,
as
a
condition
of
22
graduation,
instruction
all
of
the
following:
23
a.
Instruction
in
American
history
and
the
governments
of
24
Iowa
and
the
United
States,
including
instruction
in
voting
25
statutes
and
procedures,
voter
registration
requirements,
26
the
use
of
paper
ballots
and
voting
systems
in
the
election
27
process,
and
the
method
of
acquiring
and
casting
an
absentee
28
ballot.
29
b.
A
multiple-choice
civics
examination
that
consists
30
of
all
of
the
questions
used
in
the
latest
available
civics
31
examination
administered
by
the
United
States
citizenship
32
and
immigration
services.
The
proctored
examination
shall
33
be
completed
without
ancillary
materials
and
only
students
34
who
score
a
proficiency
of
sixty
percent
or
higher
shall
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be
considered
to
have
successfully
passed
the
examination.
1
Alternative
assessment
measures
approved
by
the
department
of
2
education
pursuant
to
section
256.9,
subsection
60,
may
be
3
administered
to
children
requiring
special
education
as
defined
4
in
section
256B.2,
subsection
1,
and
to
students
identified
5
as
limited
English
proficient
pursuant
to
section
280.4.
6
Each
student
shall
be
provided
with
an
opportunity
to
take
7
the
civics
examination
at
least
one
time
per
school
calendar
8
year.
A
student
may
take
the
test
at
any
time
after
enrolling
9
in
grade
seven
and
may
repeat
the
test
as
often
as
necessary
10
to
demonstrate
proficiency.
If
a
student
in
grade
seven
or
11
eight
passes
the
civics
examination,
the
student
has
met
the
12
graduation
requirement
applicable
to
this
paragraph
“b”
.
A
13
fee
shall
not
be
imposed
or
collected
in
connection
with
this
14
paragraph
“b”
.
15
Sec.
4.
APPLICABILITY.
This
Act
applies
to
school
years
16
beginning
on
or
after
July
1,
2019.
17
Sec.
5.
STATE
MANDATE
FUNDING
SPECIFIED.
In
accordance
18
with
section
25B.2,
subsection
3,
the
state
cost
of
requiring
19
compliance
with
any
state
mandate
included
in
this
Act
shall
20
be
paid
by
a
school
district
from
state
school
foundation
aid
21
received
by
the
school
district
under
section
257.16.
This
22
specification
of
the
payment
of
the
state
cost
shall
be
deemed
23
to
meet
all
of
the
state
funding-related
requirements
of
24
section
25B.2,
subsection
3,
and
no
additional
state
funding
25
shall
be
necessary
for
the
full
implementation
of
this
Act
26
by
and
enforcement
of
this
Act
against
all
affected
school
27
districts.
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