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PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 256.11C ALTERNATIVE
1 2 ACCREDITATION PROCESS.
1 3 1. As an alternative to the accreditation standards and
1 4 procedures in section 256.11, section 256.11A, and the rules
1 5 adopted by the state board to implement those standards and
1 6 procedures, the department shall recommend rules for adoption
1 7 by the state board pursuant to chapter 17A that provide for
1 8 the establishment by the department of an alternative process
1 9 for accrediting public and nonpublic schools by the school
1 10 year that begins July 1, 1999.
1 11 2. By January 15, the board of directors of a school
1 12 district or the authorities in charge of a nonpublic school
1 13 may notify the department of its intent to seek accreditation
1 14 under the alternative accreditation process for the next
1 15 following school year, and shall submit to the department a
1 16 comprehensive education program plan that meets the
1 17 requirements established by the department pursuant to rules
1 18 adopted by the state board and does all of the following:
1 19 a. Establishes results-based academic measurements of
1 20 learning for students according to local needs. The academic
1 21 measurements shall include, but are not limited to, academic
1 22 measurements for reading, writing, mathematics, science, and
1 23 speaking. The academic measurements shall be developed with
1 24 collaborative input by parents, students, educators, and
1 25 business, labor, and community representatives.
1 26 b. Specifies testing or assessment methods to measure the
1 27 progress of all students in achieving results-based academic
1 28 measurements. However, no public school student may be
1 29 assessed or tested on personal values, attitudes, or beliefs.
1 30 Nonpublic school students may be assessed on personal values,
1 31 attitudes, or beliefs, but these tests shall not be used for
1 32 any accreditation purposes. The district or school shall
1 33 establish for at least one interval at the elementary level,
1 34 for at least one interval at the middle school level, and for
1 35 high school graduation, the following measures, based on the
2 1 results from the tests or assessments administered by the
2 2 school or district:
2 3 (1) Minimum levels of proficiency for advancement or
2 4 graduation. The minimum levels of proficiency shall be
2 5 limited to the academic measurements for reading, writing, and
2 6 mathematics.
2 7 (2) Levels of excellence for students to earn a
2 8 certificate of achievement. The levels of excellence shall
2 9 include, but are not limited to, excellence levels in reading,
2 10 writing, and mathematics.
2 11 The district or school may establish alternative standards
2 12 or academic measurements for special education students.
2 13 c. Describes the criteria for advancement or graduation of
2 14 special education students if the school district has
2 15 established the alternative criteria.
2 16 d. Describes the means by which the district or nonpublic
2 17 school will do all of the following:
2 18 (1) Describe the assignment of instructional staff and
2 19 provide for professional staff development consistent with the
2 20 local results-based academic measurements of learning.
2 21 (2) Describe the schedules, calendars, and support
2 22 services to be implemented to support the accomplishment of
2 23 the local results-based academic measurements.
2 24 (3) Describe the assessment methods to be used to measure
2 25 results-based academic measurements of student achievement.
2 26 Assessments shall be objective, measurable, and, in part,
2 27 standardized.
2 28 e. Provides for instructional staff to be licensed at the
2 29 early childhood, elementary, secondary, special education, or
2 30 administrative level appropriate to their assignment as
2 31 provided in chapter 272.
2 32 f. Addresses the attainment of the student achievement
2 33 goals provided in sections 280.12 and 280.18. The
2 34 comprehensive education program plan may be submitted by the
2 35 district or nonpublic school to the department in lieu of the
3 1 annual report required by sections 280.12 and 280.18.
3 2 g. Addresses and is consistent with a phase III plan filed
3 3 under section 294A.16. The phase III plan shall be included
3 4 as a part of the comprehensive education program plan.
3 5 3. School districts and accredited nonpublic schools may
3 6 seek accreditation under this section for the district or one
3 7 or more attendance centers within the district or under the
3 8 control of authorities in charge of an accredited nonpublic
3 9 school.
3 10 4. Before adopting local results-based academic
3 11 measurements, a school district or school seeking
3 12 accreditation under this section shall submit a copy of the
3 13 proposed academic measurements to the parent, guardian, or
3 14 legal custodian of each student enrolled in the school
3 15 district or school by mail or through the student, and shall
3 16 hold at least one public hearing to accept public comment on
3 17 the proposed academic measurements.
3 18 5. The department shall notify districts and nonpublic
3 19 schools by March 1 if the comprehensive education program plan
3 20 proposed for the following school year complies with the
3 21 requirements of this section. If notified by the department
3 22 that the plan complies with this section, the district or
3 23 nonpublic school may begin accreditation under this section
3 24 and is not subject to the standards specified in sections
3 25 256.11 and 256.11A. If the district or nonpublic school
3 26 receives notice that the plan does not meet the requirements
3 27 of this section, the district or nonpublic school shall
3 28 continue to be accredited under section 256.11, and may submit
3 29 revisions to its plan by April 1 for the following school
3 30 year. The department shall review the revisions and provide
3 31 notice to the district or nonpublic school of its
3 32 accreditation status by May 1 for the following school year.
3 33 6. The alternative accreditation process shall be
3 34 monitored by the department by the following means:
3 35 a. Reviewing and approving a district's or nonpublic
4 1 school's comprehensive education program plan described in
4 2 this section.
4 3 b. Monitoring the implementation of a comprehensive
4 4 education program.
4 5 c. Reviewing a district's or nonpublic school's annual
4 6 report of plan implementation results.
4 7 7. A parent, guardian, or legal custodian shall have
4 8 access, upon making a request to the school administrator, to
4 9 curriculum and other educational materials used in teaching or
4 10 testing a student, and may have access to learning plans.
4 11 However, tests or assessments requiring confidentiality for
4 12 future use shall be shown to the requesting parent, guardian,
4 13 or legal custodian, if the superintendent or school board
4 14 consents, under the supervision of a designee of the board of
4 15 directors of a school district or the authorities in charge of
4 16 a nonpublic school. A person or firm desiring to furnish
4 17 tests or assessments to a school district or school shall
4 18 agree to comply with the requirements of this section.
4 19 8. A school district or school seeking accreditation under
4 20 this section shall evaluate the effectiveness of its
4 21 comprehensive education program. The evaluation shall include
4 22 a comparison of the effects on student achievement based on
4 23 administration of a nationally recognized standardized
4 24 achievement test at selected grade levels.
4 25 9. Individualized information or individual test results a
4 26 school district or school gains by implementing this section
4 27 shall not be released to colleges, universities, businesses,
4 28 or other entities without written consent of a student's
4 29 parent, guardian, or legal custodian or of a student who has
4 30 attained the age of majority.
4 31 10. The district or nonpublic school accredited under this
4 32 section shall submit to the department and the community of
4 33 the district or nonpublic school an alternative accreditation
4 34 program annual report regarding the performance of student
4 35 groups at the intervals assessed. The report shall be
5 1 submitted at the close of each school year, but not later than
5 2 August 15, and shall meet the requirements established by the
5 3 department pursuant to rules adopted by the state board. The
5 4 report shall include all of the following:
5 5 a. Longitudinal results for groups of students by cohort,
5 6 gender, and ethnicity. If the longitudinal data submitted in
5 7 the alternative accreditation program annual report indicates
5 8 unsatisfactory progress in achieving the results-based
5 9 academic measurements adopted by the district or nonpublic
5 10 school, the district or nonpublic school shall submit to the
5 11 department a corrective academic plan to improve student
5 12 achievement in the district or nonpublic school.
5 13 b. Summary comments from reviewers selected by the
5 14 district or nonpublic school. Reviewers shall include, but
5 15 are not limited to, representatives from the following
5 16 entities:
5 17 (1) An area education agency.
5 18 (2) Other accredited districts or nonpublic schools,
5 19 including, but not limited to, a member of the instructional
5 20 staff.
5 21 (3) The department of education.
5 22 (4) The general public.
5 23 Comments by the reviewers shall address the comprehensive
5 24 program plan and the annual report.
5 25 11. If the alternative accreditation program annual report
5 26 submitted the year following implementation of the corrective
5 27 academic plan indicates to the department that the corrective
5 28 academic plan as required under paragraph "a" is unsuccessful,
5 29 the district or nonpublic school shall be required to comply
5 30 with and meet the standards of the accreditation process
5 31 pursuant to sections 256.11 and 256.11A, and the rules adopted
5 32 by the state board pursuant to those sections for the school
5 33 year that began the preceding July 1.
5 34 EXPLANATION
5 35 This bill requires the department of education to establish
6 1 an alternative process for accrediting public and nonpublic
6 2 schools by the school year beginning July 1, 1999. School
6 3 districts and nonpublic schools seeking accreditation under
6 4 the alternative performance-based process will still be
6 5 required to meet the requirements of Code chapter 272 for the
6 6 licensing of practitioners under their employ.
6 7 The bill details the requirements school districts and
6 8 nonpublic schools seeking accreditation under the alternative
6 9 accreditation process will be required to meet to qualify for
6 10 and to continue under the process. Those requirements include
6 11 submitting a comprehensive education program plan and an
6 12 alternative accreditation program annual report to the
6 13 department of education. The bill lists the notification
6 14 requirements that the department and the school districts and
6 15 nonpublic schools must meet under the process, and the methods
6 16 by which the department shall monitor the alternative
6 17 accreditation process. The bill also provides for parental
6 18 access to curriculum, learning plans, and other educational
6 19 materials used in teaching or testing a student, and requires
6 20 a participating school district or school to compare effects
6 21 on achievement based on administration of a nationally
6 22 recognized standardized achievement test.
6 23 Under this bill, any information or test results gained by
6 24 implementing the provisions of the bill cannot be released by
6 25 school districts or schools without the written consent of the
6 26 student's parent, guardian, or legal custodian or a student
6 27 who has attained the age of majority.
6 28 LSB 3538SS 77
6 29 kh/jl/8
Text: SF02085 Text: SF02087 Text: SF02000 - SF02099 Text: SF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
© 1998 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa
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