Text: SSB02239 Text: SSB02241 Text: SSB02200 - SSB02299 Text: SSB Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
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 subsections:
1 30 NEW SUBSECTION. 22. Meet not less than twice annually
1 31 with the members of the boards of directors of the school
1 32 districts located within its boundaries.
1 33 NEW SUBSECTION. 23. Administer not more than two
1 34 divisions within the agency, which shall be a division of
1 35 special education, pursuant to section 273.5, and a division
2 1 of instructional services, which shall encompass media
2 2 services, educational services, and management services
2 3 provided through the agency.
2 4 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION. 273.10 ACCREDITATION OF AREA
2 5 EDUCATION PROGRAMS.
2 6 1. The department of education shall develop, in
2 7 consultation with the area education agencies, and establish
2 8 an accreditation process for area education agencies by July
2 9 1, 1997. At a minimum, the accreditation process shall
2 10 consist of the following:
2 11 a. The timely submission by an area education agency of
2 12 information required by the department on forms provided by
2 13 the department.
2 14 b. The use of an accreditation team appointed by the
2 15 director of the department of education to conduct an
2 16 evaluation, including an on-site visit of each area education
2 17 agency. The team shall include, but is not limited to,
2 18 department staff members, representatives from the school
2 19 districts served by the area education agency being evaluated,
2 20 area education agency staff members from area education
2 21 agencies other than the area education agency that conducts
2 22 the programs being evaluated for accreditation, and other team
2 23 members with expertise as deemed appropriate by the director.
2 24 2. Prior to a visit to an area education agency, the
2 25 accreditation team shall have access to that area education
2 26 agency's program audit report filed with the department.
2 27 After a visit to an area education agency, the accreditation
2 28 team shall determine whether the accreditation standards for a
2 29 program have been met and shall make a report to the director
2 30 and the state board, together with a recommendation as to
2 31 whether the programs of the area education agency should
2 32 receive initial accreditation or remain accredited. The
2 33 accreditation team shall report strengths and weaknesses, if
2 34 any, for each accreditation standard and shall advise the area
2 35 education agency of available resources and technical
3 1 assistance to further enhance the strengths and improve areas
3 2 of weakness. An area education agency may respond to the
3 3 accreditation team's report.
3 4 3. The state board of education shall determine whether a
3 5 program of an area education agency shall receive initial
3 6 accreditation or shall remain accredited. Approval of area
3 7 education agency programs by the state board shall be based
3 8 upon the recommendation of the director of the department of
3 9 education after a study of the factual and evaluative evidence
3 10 on record about each area education agency program in terms of
3 11 the accreditation standards adopted by the state board.
3 12 Approval, if granted, shall be for a term of three years.
3 13 However, the state board may grant conditional approval for a
3 14 term of less than three years if conditions warrant.
3 15 4. If the state board of education determines that an area
3 16 education agency's program does not meet accreditation
3 17 standards, the director of the department of education, in
3 18 cooperation with the board of directors of the area education
3 19 agency, shall establish a remediation plan prescribing the
3 20 procedures that must be taken to correct deficiencies in
3 21 meeting the program standards, and shall establish a deadline
3 22 date for correction of the deficiencies. The remediation plan
3 23 is subject to the approval of the state board.
3 24 5. The area education agency program shall remain
3 25 accredited during the implementation of the remediation plan.
3 26 The accreditation team shall visit the area education agency
3 27 and shall determine whether the deficiencies in the standards
3 28 for the program have been corrected and shall make a report
3 29 and recommendation to the director and the state board of
3 30 education. The state board shall review the report and
3 31 recommendation and shall determine whether the deficiencies in
3 32 the program have been corrected.
3 33 6. If the deficiencies in an area education program have
3 34 not been corrected, the agency board shall take one of the
3 35 following actions within sixty days from removal of
4 1 accreditation:
4 2 a. Merge the deficient program with a program from another
4 3 accredited area education agency.
4 4 b. Contract with another area education agency or other
4 5 public educational institution for purposes of program
4 6 delivery.
4 7 The rules developed by the state board of education for the
4 8 accreditation process shall include provisions for removal of
4 9 accreditation, including provisions for proper notice to the
4 10 administrator of the area education agency, each member of the
4 11 board of directors of the area education agency, and the
4 12 superintendents and administrators of the schools of the
4 13 districts served by the area education agency.
4 14 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION. 273.11 STANDARDS FOR ACCREDITING
4 15 AREA EDUCATION PROGRAMS.
4 16 1. The state board of education shall develop standards
4 17 and rules for the accreditation of area education agencies by
4 18 July 1, 1997. Standards shall be general in nature, but at a
4 19 minimum shall identify requirements addressing the services
4 20 provided by each division, as well as identifying indicators
4 21 of quality that will permit area education agencies, school
4 22 districts, the department of education, and the general public
4 23 to judge accurately the effectiveness of area education agency
4 24 services.
4 25 2. Standards developed shall include, but are not limited
4 26 to, the following:
4 27 a. Support for school-community planning, including a
4 28 means of assessing needs, establishing shared direction and
4 29 implementing program plans and reporting progress.
4 30 b. Professional development programs that respond to
4 31 current needs.
4 32 c. Support for curriculum development, instruction, and
4 33 assessment for reading, language arts, math and science, using
4 34 research-based methodologies.
4 35 d. Special education compliance and support.
5 1 e. Management services, including financial reporting and
5 2 purchasing as requested and funded by local districts.
5 3 f. Support for instructional media services that
5 4 supplement and support local district media centers and
5 5 services.
5 6 g. Support for school technology planning and staff
5 7 development for implementing instructional technologies.
5 8 h. A program and services evaluation and reporting system.
5 9 EXPLANATION
5 10 This bill directs the department of education to establish
5 11 an accreditation process for area education agencies and
5 12 describes the components of the process to be established.
5 13 The bill also directs the state board of education to develop
5 14 standards and rules for the accreditation of area education
5 15 agencies and the bill lists specific standards to be adopted.
5 16 In addition, the bill directs the board of directors of an
5 17 area education agency to administer not more than two
5 18 divisions within the agency, which shall be a division of
5 19 special education and a division of instructional services.
5 20 Beginning with the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1999, the
5 21 state board is prohibited from giving final approval to
5 22 budgets submitted by nonaccredited area education agencies.
5 23 The accreditation process, to be established by July 1,
5 24 1997, shall utilize an accreditation team appointed by the
5 25 director of the department. The team is to visit and evaluate
5 26 each area education agency. The team shall include, but is
5 27 not limited to, department staff members, representatives from
5 28 the school districts served by the agency being evaluated,
5 29 area education agency staff members from area education
5 30 agencies other than the agency being evaluated, and other team
5 31 members with expertise deemed appropriate by the director of
5 32 the department of education.
5 33 After a visit to an area education agency, the
5 34 accreditation team shall determine whether the accreditation
5 35 standards for a program have been met, and report and make
6 1 recommendations to the director and the state board as to
6 2 whether the programs should receive initial accreditation or
6 3 remain accredited. The accreditation team shall report
6 4 strengths and weaknesses, if any, for each accreditation
6 5 standard and shall advise the area education agency of
6 6 available resources and technical assistance to further
6 7 enhance the strengths and improve areas of weakness. An area
6 8 education agency may respond to the accreditation team's
6 9 report.
6 10 Under the bill, the state board of education determines
6 11 whether an agency program receives initial accreditation or
6 12 remains accredited. Approval shall be based on the
6 13 recommendation of the director of the department after a study
6 14 of the evidence on record about each area education agency
6 15 program in terms of the accreditation standards adopted by the
6 16 state board.
6 17 Approval, if granted, shall be for a term of three years.
6 18 However, the state board may grant conditional approval for a
6 19 term of less than three years if conditions warrant.
6 20 If a program does not meet accreditation standards, the
6 21 director of the department, in cooperation with the agency
6 22 board, shall establish a remediation plan prescribing
6 23 procedures to correct deficiencies in meeting program
6 24 standards, and shall establish a deadline date for correction
6 25 of the deficiencies.
6 26 The area education agency program shall remain accredited
6 27 during the remediation period. The accreditation team shall
6 28 visit the agency and determine whether the deficiencies have
6 29 been corrected and shall make a report and recommendation to
6 30 the director and the state board of education.
6 31 If the deficiencies have not been corrected, the agency
6 32 board shall, within 60 days from removal of accreditation,
6 33 merge the deficient program with a program from another
6 34 accredited area education agency, or contract with another
6 35 area education agency or other public educational institution
7 1 for purposes of program delivery.
7 2 The rules developed by the state board for the
7 3 accreditation process shall include provisions for removal of
7 4 accreditation.
7 5 The state board shall develop general standards and rules
7 6 for the accreditation of area education agencies by July 1,
7 7 1997. At a minimum, standards shall identify requirements
7 8 addressing the services provided by each division, and
7 9 indicators of quality that will permit area education
7 10 agencies, school districts, the department of education, and
7 11 the general public to judge accurately the effectiveness of
7 12 area education agency services.
7 13 Standards developed shall include, but are not limited to,
7 14 the following: (1) support for school-community planning,
7 15 including a means of assessing needs, establishing shared
7 16 direction and implementing program plans, and reporting
7 17 progress; (2) professional development programs that respond
7 18 to current needs; (3) support for curriculum development,
7 19 instruction, and assessment for reading, language arts, math
7 20 and science, using research-based methodologies; (4) special
7 21 education compliance and support; (5) management services,
7 22 including financial reporting and purchasing as requested and
7 23 funded by local districts; (6) support for instructional media
7 24 services that supplement and support local district media
7 25 centers and services; (7) support for school technology
7 26 planning and staff development for implementing instructional
7 27 technologies; and (8) a program and services evaluation and
7 28 reporting system.
7 29 Finally, the bill directs the board of directors of an area
7 30 education agency to meet not less than twice annually with the
7 31 members of the boards of directors of the school districts
7 32 located within its boundaries.
7 33 LSB 3708XL 76
7 34 kh/cf/24.2
Text: SSB02239 Text: SSB02241 Text: SSB02200 - SSB02299 Text: SSB Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
Iowa General Assembly
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