Text: HF00448 Text: HF00450 Text: HF00400 - HF00499 Text: HF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 256.16, Code 1999, is amended to read 1 2 as follows: 1 3 256.16 SPECIFIC CRITERIA FOR TEACHER PREPARATION AND 1 4 CERTAIN EDUCATORS. 1 5 1. Pursuant to section 256.7, subsection 5, the state 1 6 board shall adopt rules requiring all higher education 1 7 institutions providing practitioner preparation to include in 1 8 the professional education program, preparation that 1 9contributes to education of students with disabilities and1 10students who are gifted and talented, whichmust be 1 11 successfully completed before graduation from the practitioner 1 12 preparation program., and includes the following: 1 13 a. Instruction that contributes to the education of 1 14 students who are gifted and talented. 1 15 b. Commencing with the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2000, 1 16 instruction that contributes to the education of students with 1 17 disabilities, including knowledge of the laws impacting the 1 18 education of students with disabilities, including section 504 1 19 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1991 and the federal 1 20 Individuals with Disabilities Act; knowledge about, and 1 21 teaching methods to respond to, the learning styles of 1 22 students with disabilities and particular mental or physical 1 23 challenges and barriers affecting the education of students 1 24 with disabilities; information about resources available to 1 25 facilitate the education of students with disabilities in the 1 26 regular classroom, including but not limited to methods for 1 27 utilizing resources such as other students, parents, and 1 28 government and community agencies; and knowledge or assistive 1 29 technology and other available accommodations for students 1 30 with disabilities. 1 31 2. A person initially applying for a license shall 1 32 successfully complete a professional education program 1 33 containing the subject matter specified in this section, 1 34 before the initial action by the board of educational 1 35 examiners takes place. 2 1 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 272.21 COMMENDATION OF PROFESSIONAL 2 2 IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. 2 3 1. The board of educational examiners shall develop and 2 4 implement a commendation of professional improvement program 2 5 to motivate licensed, practicing teachers to continue to 2 6 develop their professional competencies and improve their 2 7 abilities to be effective with all students in the classroom, 2 8 and to recognize and reward teachers who complete a minimum 2 9 level of additional core professional development coursework. 2 10 2. The board shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A for 2 11 the commendation of professional improvement program, which 2 12 shall include, but not be limited to, the establishment of an 2 13 application process a teacher shall complete in order to 2 14 receive a commendation, issuance of a commendation of 2 15 professional improvement to licensed, practicing teachers who 2 16 complete ten semester hours of coursework within a time to be 2 17 specified by rule, and approval of coursework an individual 2 18 shall successfully complete to be eligible for a commendation 2 19 of professional improvement, including, but not limited to, 2 20 courses in classroom management and courses in the teacher's 2 21 content area of specialization. 2 22 3. The board shall work with the department of education, 2 23 institutions of higher education with approved practitioner 2 24 preparation programs, and community colleges, and area 2 25 education agencies offering approved professional development 2 26 programs to ensure that the courses required under rules 2 27 adopted pursuant to this section are offered throughout the 2 28 state at convenient times and at a reasonable cost. 2 29 4. If the general assembly appropriates moneys for 2 30 commendation awards, a commendation of professional 2 31 improvement awards fund is established in the office of 2 32 treasurer of state to be administered by the department. 2 33 Moneys appropriated by the general assembly for deposit in the 2 34 fund shall be expended as follows: 2 35 a. To licensed, practicing teachers who successfully 3 1 complete coursework as required by the board and who apply for 3 2 and receive a commendation, the board shall pay a commendation 3 3 of professional improvement award in the amount of three 3 4 hundred dollars for tuition reimbursement. 3 5 b. To the attendance center in the school district that 3 6 employs one or more teachers approved by the board to receive 3 7 an award under paragraph "a", the board shall pay a 3 8 commendation of professional improvement award in the amount 3 9 of two hundred dollars for each teacher employed at the 3 10 attendance center who qualifies for an award during the fiscal 3 11 year for which the award moneys were appropriated. Payments 3 12 to attendance centers shall be made annually on or about June 3 13 15. Moneys received by an attendance center are miscellaneous 3 14 income and shall be used to purchase materials, equipment, or 3 15 supplies for the classroom used by the teacher or teachers 3 16 employed at the attendance center who received an award under 3 17 paragraph "a". 3 18 5. Payment for awards shall be made only upon board 3 19 approval of an application. If the amount appropriated for 3 20 purposes of this section is insufficient to make the awards 3 21 payments as provided under subsection 4, the board shall 3 22 prorate the payments on the basis of the amount appropriated. 3 23 6. The treasurer of state shall act as custodian of the 3 24 commendation of professional improvement awards fund and may 3 25 invest the moneys deposited in the fund. The director of 3 26 revenue and finance shall issue warrants upon the fund 3 27 pursuant to the order of the board and such warrants shall be 3 28 paid from the fund by the treasurer of state. Notwithstanding 3 29 section 8.33, unencumbered or unobligated moneys remaining in 3 30 the fund on June 30 of the fiscal year for which the funds 3 31 were appropriated shall not revert but shall be available for 3 32 subsequent fiscal years for the purposes of this section. 3 33 Notwithstanding section 12C.7, subsection 2, interest or 3 34 earnings on moneys deposited in the fund shall be credited to 3 35 the fund. 4 1 EXPLANATION 4 2 This bill requires the state board of education to provide 4 3 for the inclusion of coursework specific to the education of 4 4 students with disabilities in practitioner preparation 4 5 programs. It also creates a commendation of professional 4 6 improvement program, award, and fund. 4 7 The bill requires that students attending approved 4 8 practitioner preparation programs must successfully complete 4 9 preparation that includes knowledge of the laws impacting the 4 10 education of students with disabilities, including section 504 4 11 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1991 and the federal 4 12 Individuals with Disabilities Act; knowledge about, and 4 13 teaching methods to respond to, the learning styles of 4 14 students with disabilities and particular mental or physical 4 15 challenges and barriers affecting the education of students 4 16 with disabilities; information about resources available to 4 17 facilitate the education of students with disabilities in the 4 18 regular classroom, including methods for utilizing resources 4 19 such as other students, parents, and government and community 4 20 agencies; and knowledge or assistive technology and other 4 21 available accommodations for students with disabilities. 4 22 The bill also directs the board of educational examiners to 4 23 develop and implement a commendation of professional 4 24 improvement program to motivate licensed, practicing teachers 4 25 to continue to develop their professional competencies and 4 26 improve their abilities to be effective with all students in 4 27 the classroom, and to recognize and reward teachers who 4 28 complete a minimum level of additional core professional 4 29 development coursework. 4 30 To receive a commendation, a licensed, practicing teacher 4 31 must complete 10 semester hours of coursework in classroom 4 32 management and in the teacher's content area of specialization 4 33 within a time to be specified by the board, and must make 4 34 application to the board. 4 35 The board is directed to work with the department of 5 1 education, institutions of higher education with approved 5 2 practitioner preparation programs, and community colleges, and 5 3 area education agencies offering approved professional 5 4 development programs to ensure that courses required under 5 5 rules adopted by the board are offered throughout the state at 5 6 convenient times and at a reasonable cost. 5 7 If the general assembly appropriates moneys for 5 8 commendation awards, the bill provides for the payment of $300 5 9 for tuition reimbursement to teachers who receive board 5 10 approval, and $200 to the attendance center in the school 5 11 district that employs the teacher. Moneys received by an 5 12 attendance center are to be used to purchase materials, 5 13 equipment, or supplies for the classroom used by the teacher 5 14 receiving a commendation award. 5 15 If the amount appropriated for awards under the program is 5 16 insufficient to make the full awards payments, the board is 5 17 authorized to prorate the payments. 5 18 LSB 2620HH 78 5 19 kh/sc/14
Text: HF00448 Text: HF00450 Text: HF00400 - HF00499 Text: HF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
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