Text: HSB00590 Text: HSB00592 Text: HSB00500 - HSB00599 Text: HSB Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 256D.1 LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND
1 2 INTENT.
1 3 The general assembly finds that a quality education
1 4 exponentially provides increased benefits in the areas of
1 5 economic development and workforce preparation, and
1 6 significantly reduces outlays for health costs, welfare costs,
1 7 and juvenile justice expenses. The general assembly further
1 8 finds that it is in the best interest of the state to
1 9 encourage and equitably fund school improvement programs in
1 10 the public school districts. The goal of these programs shall
1 11 be, at a minimum, to produce children who are self-confident,
1 12 intellectually inquisitive, able to use language to
1 13 communicate, physically and mentally healthy, able to relate
1 14 well to others, and empathetic to others. Toward that goal,
1 15 it is the intent of this chapter to establish and fund a
1 16 school improvement program.
1 17 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 256D.2 SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
1 18 APPROPRIATION.
1 19 1. There is appropriated from the general fund of the
1 20 state to the department of education for the fiscal year
1 21 beginning July 1, 1998, and for each succeeding fiscal year,
1 22 the sum of fifteen million dollars for the school improvement
1 23 program.
1 24 2. For each fiscal year for which moneys are appropriated
1 25 in subsection 1, the amount of moneys allocated to school
1 26 districts shall be in the proportion that the basic enrollment
1 27 of a district bears to the sum of the basic enrollments of all
1 28 school districts in the state for the budget year. However,
1 29 except as provided in subsection 7, a district shall not
1 30 receive less than seven thousand five hundred dollars in a
1 31 fiscal year. The Iowa braille and sight saving school, the
1 32 state school for the deaf, and the Price laboratory school at
1 33 the university of northern Iowa shall annually certify their
1 34 basic enrollments to the department of education by October 1.
1 35 The department of human services shall certify the average
2 1 student yearly enrollments of the institutions under the
2 2 control of the department of human services enumerated in
2 3 section 218.1, subsections 1 through 3, 5, 7, and 8, to the
2 4 department of education by October 1.
2 5 3. For each year for which an appropriation is made to the
2 6 school improvement program, the department of education shall
2 7 notify the department of revenue and finance of the amount to
2 8 be paid to each school district based upon the distribution
2 9 plan set forth for the appropriation made pursuant to this
2 10 section. The allocation to each school district under this
2 11 section shall be made in one payment on or about October 15 of
2 12 the fiscal year for which the appropriation is made, taking
2 13 into consideration the relative budget and cash position of
2 14 the state resources. Prior to the receipt of moneys, school
2 15 districts shall provide to the department of education
2 16 adequate assurance that they have developed or are developing
2 17 a school improvement plan as required by section 256D.3 and
2 18 that moneys received under this section will be used in
2 19 accordance with the required school improvement plan.
2 20 4. Moneys received under this section shall not be
2 21 commingled with state aid payments made under sections 257.16
2 22 to a school district and shall be accounted for by the school
2 23 district separately from state aid payments.
2 24 5. Payments made to school districts under this section
2 25 are miscellaneous income for purposes of chapter 257 or are
2 26 considered encumbered. Each school district shall maintain a
2 27 separate listing within their budgets for payments received
2 28 and expenditures made pursuant to this section.
2 29 6. Moneys received under this section shall not be used
2 30 for payment of any collective bargaining agreement or
2 31 arbitrator's decision negotiated or awarded under chapter 20.
2 32 7. For purposes of this chapter, "school district" means a
2 33 school district, the Iowa braille and sight saving school, the
2 34 state school for the deaf, the Price laboratory school at the
2 35 university of northern Iowa, and the institutions under the
3 1 control of the department of human services enumerated in
3 2 section 218.1, subsections 1 through 3, 5, 7, and 8. However,
3 3 notwithstanding subsection 2, the amount of moneys allocated
3 4 to the institutions under the control of the department of
3 5 human services enumerated in section 218.1, subsections 1, 2,
3 6 3, and 5, shall be a total of not more than twenty-two
3 7 thousand five hundred dollars for each fiscal year, to be
3 8 distributed proportionately among the four institutions by the
3 9 department of education.
3 10 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION. 256D.3 SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
3 11 PLANNING.
3 12 1. Prior to receiving moneys under this chapter, the board
3 13 of directors of a school district shall adopt an initial
3 14 school improvement plan that supports efforts to increase
3 15 student achievement and includes an evaluation component. The
3 16 plan shall be developed by licensed professional staff of the
3 17 district, including both teachers and administrators. The
3 18 plan shall, at a minimum, focus on preparing children to
3 19 attain or surpass student achievement goals identified
3 20 pursuant to sections 280.12 and 280.18. The initial plan
3 21 shall be amended or adopted anew at least once every five
3 22 years and shall be kept on file in the district. A copy of
3 23 the initial plan, subsequent amendments to the plan, and
3 24 copies of subsequent plans adopted shall be sent to the
3 25 appropriate area education agency and the department of
3 26 education. Progress as determined by the school district, but
3 27 including progress in preparing children to attain or surpass
3 28 student achievement goals, shall be included as part of the
3 29 annual report submitted to the department of education in
3 30 compliance with sections 280.12 and 280.18.
3 31 2. Prior to receiving moneys under this chapter, the Iowa
3 32 braille and sight saving school, the state school for the
3 33 deaf, and the Price laboratory school at the university of
3 34 northern Iowa shall each develop an initial school improvement
3 35 plan that prepares, or supports and improves, student
4 1 achievement and includes an evaluation component. The initial
4 2 plan shall be amended or adopted anew at least once every five
4 3 years and kept on file in the school, and a copy of the
4 4 initial plan, subsequent amendments to the plan, and copies of
4 5 subsequent plans adopted shall be sent to the state board of
4 6 regents and the department of education. An annual progress
4 7 report, describing progress in attaining student achievement
4 8 goals, shall be submitted to the state board of regents and
4 9 the department of education.
4 10 3. The institutions under the control of the department of
4 11 human services enumerated in section 218.1, subsections 1
4 12 through 3, 5, 7, and 8, shall each develop an initial school
4 13 improvement plan that prepares a child for, or supports and
4 14 improves, student achievement and includes an evaluation
4 15 component. Each institution shall keep a copy on file and
4 16 send a copy of the initial plan, subsequent amendments to the
4 17 plan, and copies of subsequent plans adopted to the
4 18 departments of human services and education. Each institution
4 19 shall submit an annual progress report, describing progress in
4 20 attaining student achievement goals, to the departments of
4 21 human services and education.
4 22 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION. 256D.4 SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
4 23 EXPENDITURES.
4 24 School districts, as defined in section 256D.2, subsection
4 25 7, shall expend funds received pursuant to section 256D.2 to
4 26 support education practices and programs that do any of the
4 27 following: encourage students to actively construct their own
4 28 knowledge; engage students with varied activities and
4 29 materials of interest to the students; utilize a physical and
4 30 interpersonal environment supportive of learning goals; foster
4 31 language development, rudimentary learning, and problem-
4 32 solving in a social context with peers and adults; are
4 33 inclusive of all students within an age group; involve
4 34 interaction between teachers and individual students, small
4 35 and large teams, and groups of students; honor the cultural
5 1 diversity and backgrounds of the students; include appropriate
5 2 assessment; involve parents and others from the community;
5 3 collaborate with other agencies focused on the health and
5 4 well-being of students; highlight the students' work; extend
5 5 individual and small group reading opportunities throughout
5 6 the day; include curriculum developed to be adaptive to the
5 7 many possible ways and paces by which students learn; and
5 8 cause students and parents to look forward to participating in
5 9 educational activities and programs.
5 10 EXPLANATION
5 11 This bill establishes an improvement program and funds the
5 12 program with an annual appropriation of $15 million from the
5 13 state general fund to the department of education.
5 14 The general assembly finds, according to the bill, that a
5 15 quality education increases benefits to society exponentially
5 16 and that it is in the best interest of the state to encourage
5 17 and equitably fund school improvement programs in public
5 18 school districts. The bill defines the goals of an eligible
5 19 school improvement program and lists the components of
5 20 practices and programs that qualify for state funding.
5 21 The bill provides for a per pupil annual distribution of
5 22 the funds appropriated, but stipulates that a school district
5 23 shall receive no less than $7,500. The bill defines the term
5 24 "school district" to include the Iowa braille and sight saving
5 25 school, the state school for the deaf, the Price laboratory
5 26 school at the university of northern Iowa, Glenwood state
5 27 hospital-school, Woodward state hospital-school, the mental
5 28 health institutes located at Cherokee and Independence, the
5 29 state training school, and the Iowa juvenile home. However,
5 30 under the bill, the department of education is directed to
5 31 distribute a total of $22,500 among four of the institutions
5 32 under the control of the department of human services: the
5 33 Glenwood state hospital-school, Woodward state hospital-
5 34 school, and the mental health institutes located at Cherokee
5 35 and Independence.
6 1 The bill also requires school districts to develop and
6 2 adopt an initial school improvement plan that prepares a
6 3 student for, or supports and improves, student achievement and
6 4 includes an evaluation component. The initial plan shall be
6 5 amended or replaced at least once every five years and a copy
6 6 of the initial plan, subsequent amendments to the plan, and
6 7 replacements of the initial plan shall be sent to the
6 8 appropriate state agencies. Progress made under the plan
6 9 toward preparing students to attain student achievement goals
6 10 shall be reported annually to the appropriate state agencies.
6 11 LSB 3930HC 77
6 12 kh/cf/24
Text: HSB00590 Text: HSB00592 Text: HSB00500 - HSB00599 Text: HSB Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
© 1998 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa
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