Text: HF00269 Text: HF00271 Text: HF00200 - HF00299 Text: HF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 256E.1 IOWA EARLY INTERVENTION
1 2 PROGRAM ESTABLISHED – GOALS.
1 3 1. An Iowa early intervention program is established
1 4 within the department of education. The program's goals for
1 5 kindergarten through grade three are to provide the resources
1 6 needed to reduce class sizes in basic skills instruction to
1 7 the state goal of seventeen students for every one teacher;
1 8 provide direction and resources for early intervention efforts
1 9 by school districts to achieve a higher level of student
1 10 success in the basic skills, especially reading skills; and
1 11 increase communication and accountability regarding student
1 12 performance. The Iowa early intervention program shall
1 13 consist of the following:
1 14 a. Class size management. School districts shall develop
1 15 a class size management strategy to work toward, or to
1 16 maintain, class sizes in basic skills instruction for
1 17 kindergarten through grade three that are at the state goal of
1 18 seventeen students for every one teacher.
1 19 b. Improving instruction in the basics. The department of
1 20 education shall identify diagnostic assessment tools that can
1 21 be used to assist teachers in measuring reading accuracy and
1 22 fluency skills, including but not limited to, phonemic
1 23 awareness, oral reading ability, and comprehensive skills, to
1 24 improve student achievement in kindergarten through grade
1 25 three. The department, in collaboration with the area
1 26 education agencies, school districts, and institutions with
1 27 approved practitioner preparation programs, shall identify and
1 28 serve as a clearinghouse on intensive, research-based
1 29 strategies and programs for training teachers in both
1 30 diagnosis and appropriate instruction interventions.
1 31 (1) A school district shall at a minimum biannually inform
1 32 parents of their individual child's performance on the
1 33 diagnostic assessments in kindergarten through grade three.
1 34 If intervention is appropriate, the school district shall
1 35 inform the parents of the actions the school district intends
2 1 to take to improve the child's reading skills and provide the
2 2 parents with strategies to enable the parents to improve their
2 3 child's skills. The board of directors of each school
2 4 district shall adopt a policy indicating the methods the
2 5 school district will use to inform parents of their individual
2 6 child's performance.
2 7 (2) The department shall also identify for school
2 8 districts programs and materials by which parents may support
2 9 classroom reading instruction.
2 10 2. A school district shall integrate its specific early
2 11 intervention program goals and activities into the
2 12 comprehensive school improvement plan required under section
2 13 256.7, subsection 21, paragraph "a".
2 14 3. For purposes of this chapter, unless the context
2 15 otherwise requires, "parent" means a biological or adoptive
2 16 parent, a stepparent, or a legal guardian or custodian of a
2 17 student.
2 18 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 256E.2 PROGRAM EXPENDITURES.
2 19 A school district shall expend funds received pursuant to
2 20 section 256E.4 at the kindergarten through grade three levels
2 21 to reduce class sizes to the state goal of seventeen students
2 22 for every one teacher and to achieve a higher level of student
2 23 success in the basic skills, especially reading. In order to
2 24 support these efforts, school districts may expend funds
2 25 received pursuant to section 256E.4 at the kindergarten
2 26 through grade three level on programs, instructional support
2 27 and materials that include, but are not limited to, the
2 28 following: additional licensed instructional staff;
2 29 additional support for students, such as before and after
2 30 school programs, tutoring, and intensive summer programs; the
2 31 acquisition and administration of diagnostic reading
2 32 assessments; the implementation of research-based
2 33 instructional intervention programs for students needing
2 34 additional support; the implementation of all-day, everyday
2 35 kindergarten programs; and the provision of classroom teachers
3 1 with intensive training programs to improve reading
3 2 instruction and professional development in best practices,
3 3 including but not limited to training programs related to
3 4 instruction to increase students' phonemic awareness, reading
3 5 abilities, and comprehension skills.
3 6 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION. 256E.3 ANNUAL REPORTS.
3 7 1. A school district shall report annually to its school
3 8 community the proportion of fourth grade students who are
3 9 proficient in reading in accordance with section 256.7,
3 10 subsection 21, paragraph "c". School districts are encouraged
3 11 to submit their communities' composite information concerning
3 12 the reading proficiency of their kindergarten through grade
3 13 three enrollments, by grade level.
3 14 2. The annual report submitted to the department of
3 15 education in accordance with section 256.7, subsection 21,
3 16 paragraph "c", shall include the district's current class
3 17 sizes for kindergarten through grade three.
3 18 3. Beginning January 15, 2001, the department shall submit
3 19 an annual report to the chairpersons and ranking members of
3 20 the senate and house education committees that includes the
3 21 statewide average school district class size in basic skills
3 22 instruction in kindergarten through grade three, by grade
3 23 level and by district size, and describes school district
3 24 progress toward achieving early intervention program goals and
3 25 the ways in which school districts are using moneys received
3 26 under this chapter.
3 27 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION. 256E.4 PROGRAM ALLOCATION.
3 28 1. For each fiscal year in which moneys are appropriated
3 29 for purposes of this chapter, the amount of moneys allocated
3 30 to school districts shall be determined in accordance with the
3 31 following formula:
3 32 a. Fifty percent of the allocation shall be based upon the
3 33 proportion that the kindergarten through grade three
3 34 enrollment of a district bears to the sum of the kindergarten
3 35 through grade three enrollments of all school districts in the
4 1 state as reported for the base year.
4 2 b. Fifty percent of the allocation shall be based upon the
4 3 proportion that the number of children who are eligible for
4 4 free or reduced price meals under the federal National School
4 5 Lunch Act and the federal Child Nutrition Act of 1966, 42
4 6 U.S.C. } 1751-1785, in the grades one through three enrollment
4 7 of a school district bears to the sum of the number of
4 8 children who are eligible for free or reduced price meals
4 9 under the federal National School Lunch Act and the federal
4 10 Child Nutrition Act of 1966, 42 U.S.C. } 1751-1785, in the
4 11 grades one through three enrollments of all school districts
4 12 in the state for the base year.
4 13 2. For each year in which an appropriation is made to the
4 14 Iowa early intervention program, the department of education
4 15 shall notify the department of revenue and finance of the
4 16 amount of the allocation to be paid to each school district as
4 17 provided in subsection 1. The allocation to each school
4 18 district shall be made in one payment on or about October 15
4 19 of the fiscal year for which the appropriation is made, taking
4 20 into consideration the relative budget and cash position of
4 21 the state resources. Moneys received under this section shall
4 22 not be commingled with state aid payments made under section
4 23 257.16 to a school district and shall be accounted for by the
4 24 local school district separately from state aid payments.
4 25 Payments made to school districts under this section are
4 26 miscellaneous income for purposes of chapter 257. A school
4 27 district shall maintain a separate listing within its budget
4 28 for payments received and expenditures made pursuant to this
4 29 section. A school district shall certify to the department of
4 30 education that moneys received under this chapter were used to
4 31 supplement, not supplant, moneys otherwise received and used
4 32 by the school district.
4 33 3. For purposes of this section, unless the context
4 34 otherwise requires, "kindergarten through grade three
4 35 enrollment" means the enrollment as reported in the basic
5 1 educational data survey for the base year.
5 2 Sec. 5. NEW SECTION. 256E.5 APPROPRIATIONS.
5 3 1. There is appropriated from the general fund of the
5 4 state to the department of education for each fiscal year of
5 5 the fiscal period beginning July 1, 1999, and ending June 30,
5 6 2002, the sum of ten million dollars for the Iowa early
5 7 intervention program.
5 8 2. It is the intent of the general assembly that future
5 9 legislation will extend and increase the amount of the
5 10 appropriation made in this section for purposes of the Iowa
5 11 early intervention program.
5 12 EXPLANATION
5 13 This bill establishes an Iowa early intervention program
5 14 within of the department of education and makes appropriations
5 15 of $10 million annually for the fiscal period beginning July
5 16 1, 1999, and ending June 30, 2002, from the general fund of
5 17 the state for that purpose. The program includes the
5 18 following:
5 19 GOALS. The program's goals for kindergarten through grade
5 20 three are to provide the resources needed to reduce class
5 21 sizes in basic skills instruction to the state goal of 17
5 22 students to one teacher; provide direction and resources for
5 23 early intervention efforts by school districts to achieve a
5 24 higher level of student success in the basic skills,
5 25 especially reading skills; and increase communication and
5 26 accountability regarding student performance.
5 27 DUTIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. The department is
5 28 directed to identify diagnostic assessment tools that can be
5 29 used to assess and improve reading skills and student
5 30 achievement in kindergarten through grade three. The
5 31 department must provide a list of appropriate diagnostic
5 32 assessment tools to assist teachers. In addition, the
5 33 department, in collaboration with the area education agencies,
5 34 school districts, and institutions with approved practitioner
5 35 preparation programs, is required to identify and serve as a
6 1 clearinghouse on intensive, research-based strategies and
6 2 programs for training teachers in both diagnosis and
6 3 appropriate instruction interventions.
6 4 CLASS SIZE MANAGEMENT. School districts shall develop a
6 5 class size management strategy to work toward, or to maintain,
6 6 class sizes in basic instruction for K-3 at the state goal of
6 7 17:1.
6 8 COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN. A school district
6 9 shall integrate its specific early intervention program goals
6 10 and activities into its comprehensive school improvement plan.
6 11 INFORMATION TO PARENTS. School districts must biannually
6 12 inform parents of their child's performance on the diagnostic
6 13 assessments and of any actions the school district intends to
6 14 take to improve the child's reading skills. Districts must
6 15 also provide the parents with strategies to enable the parents
6 16 to improve their child's skills.
6 17 ALLOWABLE EXPENDITURES. A school district can expend
6 18 program funds only to support efforts at the K-3 level to
6 19 reduce class sizes to the state goal and to achieve a higher
6 20 level of student success in basic skills instruction,
6 21 especially reading. Moneys may be expended on programs,
6 22 instructional support, and materials, including but not
6 23 limited to the following: additional licensed instructional
6 24 staff; additional support for students such as before and
6 25 after school programs, tutoring, and intensive summer
6 26 programs; the acquisition and administration of diagnostic
6 27 reading assessments; the implementation of research-based
6 28 instructional intervention programs for students needing
6 29 additional support; the implementation of all-day, everyday
6 30 kindergarten programs; and the provision of classroom teachers
6 31 with professional development in best practices.
6 32 PROGRAM REPORTS. Each school district will be required to
6 33 report annually to its school community the proportion of
6 34 fourth grade students who are proficient in reading. In
6 35 addition, each school district shall include in its
7 1 comprehensive school improvement report to the department, the
7 2 district's current K-3 class size. Districts shall certify
7 3 their use of program moneys to the department.
7 4 Beginning January 15, 2001, the department is required to
7 5 submit an annual report to the chairpersons and ranking
7 6 members of the senate and house education committees that
7 7 includes the statewide average school district class size in
7 8 basic skills instruction in K-3, by grade level and by
7 9 district size, and describes school district progress toward
7 10 achieving early intervention program goals and the ways in
7 11 which school districts are using program moneys.
7 12 PROGRAM ALLOCATION. Program moneys are allocated to school
7 13 districts according to a formula in which 50 percent of the
7 14 allocation is based upon K-3 per pupil enrollment and 50
7 15 percent is based upon the proportion of children in grades one
7 16 through three who are eligible for free or reduced price meals
7 17 under the federal National School Lunch Act and the federal
7 18 Child Nutrition Act of 1966.
7 19 LSB 1527HV 78
7 20 kh/cf/24
Text: HF00269 Text: HF00271 Text: HF00200 - HF00299 Text: HF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
© 1999 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa
Comments about this site or page?
webmaster@legis.iowa.gov.
Please remember that the person listed above does not vote on bills. Direct all comments concerning legislation to State Legislators.
Last update: Wed Jan 12 05:55:23 CST 2000
URL: /DOCS/GA/78GA/Legislation/HF/00200/HF00270/990215.html
jhf