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PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. Section 273.3, subsection 12, Code 1995, is
1 2 amended to read as follows:
1 3 12. Prepare an annual budget estimating income and
1 4 expenditures for programs and services as provided in sections
1 5 273.1 to 273.9 and chapter 256B within the limits of funds
1 6 provided under section 256B.9 and chapter 257. The board
1 7 shall give notice of a public hearing on the proposed budget
1 8 by publication in an official county newspaper in each county
1 9 in the territory of the area education agency in which the
1 10 principal place of business of a school district that is a
1 11 part of the area education agency is located. The notice
1 12 shall specify the date, which shall be not later than March 1
1 13 of each year, the time, and the location of the public
1 14 hearing. The proposed budget as approved by the board shall
1 15 then be submitted to the state board of education, on forms
1 16 provided by the department, no later than March 15 preceding
1 17 the next fiscal year for approval. The state board shall
1 18 review the proposed budget of each area education agency and
1 19 shall before April 1, either grant approval or return the
1 20 budget without approval with comments of the state board
1 21 included. An unapproved budget shall be resubmitted to the
1 22 state board for final approval not later than April 15. For
1 23 the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1999, and each succeeding
1 24 fiscal year, the state board shall give final approval only to
1 25 budgets submitted by area education agencies accredited by the
1 26 state board or that have been given conditional accreditation
1 27 by the state board.
1 28 Sec. 2. Section 273.3, Code 1995, is amended by adding the
1 29 following new subsection:
1 30 NEW SUBSECTION. 22. Meet annually with the members of the
1 31 boards of directors of the school districts located within its
1 32 boundaries if requested by the school district boards.
1 33 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION. 273.10 ACCREDITATION OF AREA
1 34 EDUCATION PROGRAMS.
1 35 1. The department of education shall develop, in
2 1 consultation with the area education agencies, and establish
2 2 an accreditation process for area education agencies by July
2 3 1, 1997. At a minimum, the accreditation process shall
2 4 consist of the following:
2 5 a. The timely submission by an area education agency of
2 6 information required by the department on forms provided by
2 7 the department.
2 8 b. The use of an accreditation team appointed by the
2 9 director of the department of education to conduct an
2 10 evaluation, including an on-site visit of each area education
2 11 agency. The team shall include, but is not limited to,
2 12 department staff members, representatives from the school
2 13 districts served by the area education agency being evaluated,
2 14 area education agency staff members from area education
2 15 agencies other than the area education agency that conducts
2 16 the programs being evaluated for accreditation, and other team
2 17 members with expertise as deemed appropriate by the director.
2 18 2. Prior to a visit to an area education agency, the
2 19 accreditation team shall have access to that area education
2 20 agency's program audit report filed with the department.
2 21 After a visit to an area education agency, the accreditation
2 22 team shall determine whether the accreditation standards for a
2 23 program have been met and shall make a report to the director
2 24 and the state board, together with a recommendation as to
2 25 whether the programs of the area education agency should
2 26 receive initial accreditation or remain accredited. The
2 27 accreditation team shall report strengths and weaknesses, if
2 28 any, for each accreditation standard and shall advise the area
2 29 education agency of available resources and technical
2 30 assistance to further enhance the strengths and improve areas
2 31 of weakness. An area education agency may respond to the
2 32 accreditation team's report.
2 33 3. The state board of education shall determine whether a
2 34 program of an area education agency shall receive initial
2 35 accreditation or shall remain accredited. Approval of area
3 1 education agency programs by the state board shall be based
3 2 upon the recommendation of the director of the department of
3 3 education after a study of the factual and evaluative evidence
3 4 on record about each area education agency program in terms of
3 5 the accreditation standards adopted by the state board.
3 6 Approval, if granted, shall be for a term of three years.
3 7 However, the state board may grant conditional approval for a
3 8 term of less than three years if conditions warrant.
3 9 4. If the state board of education determines that an area
3 10 education agency's program does not meet accreditation
3 11 standards, the director of the department of education, in
3 12 cooperation with the board of directors of the area education
3 13 agency, shall establish a remediation plan prescribing the
3 14 procedures that must be taken to correct deficiencies in
3 15 meeting the program standards, and shall establish a deadline
3 16 date for correction of the deficiencies. The remediation plan
3 17 is subject to the approval of the state board.
3 18 5. The area education agency program shall remain
3 19 accredited during the implementation of the remediation plan.
3 20 The accreditation team shall visit the area education agency
3 21 and shall determine whether the deficiencies in the standards
3 22 for the program have been corrected and shall make a report
3 23 and recommendation to the director and the state board of
3 24 education. The state board shall review the report and
3 25 recommendation and shall determine whether the deficiencies in
3 26 the program have been corrected.
3 27 6. If the deficiencies in an area education program have
3 28 not been corrected, the agency board shall take one of the
3 29 following actions within sixty days from removal of
3 30 accreditation:
3 31 a. Merge the deficient program with a program from another
3 32 accredited area education agency.
3 33 b. Contract with another area education agency or other
3 34 public educational institution for purposes of program
3 35 delivery.
4 1 The rules developed by the state board of education for the
4 2 accreditation process shall include provisions for removal of
4 3 accreditation, including provisions for proper notice to the
4 4 administrator of the area education agency, each member of the
4 5 board of directors of the area education agency, and the
4 6 superintendents and administrators of the schools of the
4 7 districts served by the area education agency.
4 8 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION. 273.11 STANDARDS FOR ACCREDITING
4 9 AREA EDUCATION PROGRAMS.
4 10 1. The state board of education shall develop standards
4 11 and rules for the accreditation of area education agencies by
4 12 July 1, 1997. Standards shall be general in nature, but at a
4 13 minimum shall identify requirements addressing the services
4 14 provided by each division, as well as identifying indicators
4 15 of quality that will permit area education agencies, school
4 16 districts, the department of education, and the general public
4 17 to judge accurately the effectiveness of area education agency
4 18 services.
4 19 2. Standards developed shall include, but are not limited
4 20 to, the following:
4 21 a. Support for school-community planning, including a
4 22 means of assessing needs, establishing shared direction and
4 23 implementing program plans and reporting progress.
4 24 b. Professional development programs that respond to
4 25 current needs.
4 26 c. Support for curriculum development, instruction, and
4 27 assessment for reading, language arts, math and science, using
4 28 research-based methodologies.
4 29 d. Special education compliance and support.
4 30 e. Management services, including financial reporting and
4 31 purchasing as requested and funded by local districts.
4 32 f. Support for instructional media services that
4 33 supplement and support local district media centers and
4 34 services.
4 35 g. Support for school technology planning and staff
5 1 development for implementing instructional technologies.
5 2 h. A program and services evaluation and reporting system.
5 3 EXPLANATION
5 4 This bill directs the department of education to establish
5 5 an accreditation process for area education agencies and
5 6 describes the components of the process to be established.
5 7 The bill also directs the state board of education to develop
5 8 standards and rules for the accreditation of area education
5 9 agencies and the bill lists specific standards to be adopted.
5 10 Beginning with the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1999, the
5 11 state board is prohibited from giving final approval to
5 12 budgets submitted by nonaccredited area education agencies.
5 13 The accreditation process, to be established by July 1,
5 14 1997, shall utilize an accreditation team appointed by the
5 15 director of the department. The team is to visit and evaluate
5 16 each area education agency. The team shall include, but is
5 17 not limited to, department staff members, representatives from
5 18 the school districts served by the agency being evaluated,
5 19 area education agency staff members from area education
5 20 agencies other than the agency being evaluated, and other team
5 21 members with expertise deemed appropriate by the director of
5 22 the department of education.
5 23 After a visit to an area education agency, the
5 24 accreditation team shall determine whether the accreditation
5 25 standards for a program have been met, and report and make
5 26 recommendations to the director and the state board as to
5 27 whether the programs should receive initial accreditation or
5 28 remain accredited. The accreditation team shall report
5 29 strengths and weaknesses, if any, for each accreditation
5 30 standard and shall advise the area education agency of
5 31 available resources and technical assistance to further
5 32 enhance the strengths and improve areas of weakness. An area
5 33 education agency may respond to the accreditation team's
5 34 report.
5 35 Under the bill, the state board of education determines
6 1 whether an agency program receives initial accreditation or
6 2 remains accredited. Approval shall be based on the
6 3 recommendation of the director of the department after a study
6 4 of the evidence on record about each area education agency
6 5 program in terms of the accreditation standards adopted by the
6 6 state board.
6 7 Approval, if granted, shall be for a term of three years.
6 8 However, the state board may grant conditional approval for a
6 9 term of less than three years if conditions warrant.
6 10 If a program does not meet accreditation standards, the
6 11 director of the department, in cooperation with the agency
6 12 board, shall establish a remediation plan prescribing
6 13 procedures to correct deficiencies in meeting program
6 14 standards, and shall establish a deadline date for correction
6 15 of the deficiencies.
6 16 The area education agency program shall remain accredited
6 17 during the remediation period. The accreditation team shall
6 18 visit the agency and determine whether the deficiencies have
6 19 been corrected and shall make a report and recommendation to
6 20 the director and the state board of education.
6 21 If the deficiencies have not been corrected, the agency
6 22 board shall, within 60 days from removal of accreditation,
6 23 merge the deficient program with a program from another
6 24 accredited area education agency, or contract with another
6 25 area education agency or other public educational institution
6 26 for purposes of program delivery.
6 27 The rules developed by the state board for the
6 28 accreditation process shall include provisions for removal of
6 29 accreditation.
6 30 The state board shall develop general standards and rules
6 31 for the accreditation of area education agencies by July 1,
6 32 1997. At a minimum, standards shall identify requirements
6 33 addressing the services provided by each division, and
6 34 indicators of quality that will permit area education
6 35 agencies, school districts, the department of education, and
7 1 the general public to judge accurately the effectiveness of
7 2 area education agency services.
7 3 Standards developed shall include, but are not limited to,
7 4 the following: (1) support for school-community planning,
7 5 including a means of assessing needs, establishing shared
7 6 direction and implementing program plans, and reporting
7 7 progress; (2) professional development programs that respond
7 8 to current needs; (3) support for curriculum development,
7 9 instruction, and assessment for reading, language arts, math
7 10 and science, using research-based methodologies; (4) special
7 11 education compliance and support; (5) management services,
7 12 including financial reporting and purchasing as requested and
7 13 funded by local districts; (6) support for instructional media
7 14 services that supplement and support local district media
7 15 centers and services; (7) support for school technology
7 16 planning and staff development for implementing instructional
7 17 technologies; and (8) a program and services evaluation and
7 18 reporting system.
7 19 Finally, the bill directs the board of directors of an area
7 20 education agency to meet annually with the members of the
7 21 boards of directors of the school districts located within its
7 22 boundaries if requested by the district boards.
7 23 LSB 3708SV 76
7 24 kh/cf/24
Text: SF02327 Text: SF02329 Text: SF02300 - SF02399 Text: SF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
Iowa General Assembly
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