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PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. There is appropriated
1 2 from the general fund of the state to the department of
1 3 education for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1999, and
1 4 ending June 30, 2000, the following amount, or so much thereof
1 5 as is necessary, to be used for the purpose designated:
1 6 For grants to school districts for volunteer student
1 7 mentoring pilot projects:
1 8 .................................................. $ 500,000
1 9 Notwithstanding section 8.33, unencumbered or unobligated
1 10 funds remaining on June 30, 2000, shall not revert but shall
1 11 be available for grants to school districts for volunteer
1 12 student mentoring pilot projects in the following fiscal year.
1 13 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 256.24 VOLUNTEER STUDENT MENTORING
1 14 PILOT PROJECTS.
1 15 1. The department shall administer and approve grants to
1 16 school districts to implement proven, research-based
1 17 structured volunteer student mentoring pilot projects, with
1 18 the funds appropriated by the general assembly for purposes of
1 19 volunteer student mentoring pilot project grants. Grant
1 20 moneys shall be allocated on a competitive basis to school
1 21 districts, or to a collaboration of school districts, that
1 22 submit to the department a plan for implementation of a
1 23 volunteer student mentoring program. Grants shall be
1 24 equitably distributed geographically to three large school
1 25 districts, three medium-sized school districts, and three
1 26 small school districts. For purposes of this section, a large
1 27 school district is a district with an actual enrollment of
1 28 five thousand or more pupils; a medium-sized school district
1 29 is a district with an actual enrollment of two thousand or
1 30 more pupils, but less than five thousand pupils; and a small
1 31 school district is a district with an actual enrollment of
1 32 less than two thousand pupils.
1 33 2. Priority shall be given to plans that meet the
1 34 following criteria:
1 35 a. Provide for structured mentoring and systematic
2 1 intervention in a technology-based program that assists
2 2 teachers in addressing accountability issues by aligning
2 3 curriculum and connecting teaching materials to student
2 4 achievement goals, and include a database that organizes and
2 5 manages student and mentor data as well as generating
2 6 individualized lesson plans that address the instructional and
2 7 developmental level, learning style, and learning objectives
2 8 for a specific student or group of students.
2 9 b. Are recognized as promising educational practices for
2 10 accelerating student achievement and increasing a student's
2 11 self-esteem and interest in school.
2 12 c. Include a statement of purpose and a long-range plan.
2 13 d. Include a volunteer recruitment plan targeting, among
2 14 others, parents, retired persons, students, and the local
2 15 business and labor community.
2 16 e. Provide for eligibility screening, orientation, and
2 17 training of mentors.
2 18 f. Include a mentor and student matching strategy,
2 19 monitoring, and evaluation process.
2 20 g. Provide a support, recognition, and retention
2 21 component.
2 22 3. Grant amounts shall be distributed as determined by the
2 23 department.
2 24 4. A school district or collaboration of districts
2 25 receiving moneys under this section shall submit with the
2 26 report to the department required under section 256.7,
2 27 subsection 21, paragraph "c", a report describing the impact
2 28 the volunteer student mentoring pilot project funded under
2 29 this section had on the school district's progress in
2 30 attaining student achievement goals on the academic and other
2 31 core indicators and on districtwide progress made in attaining
2 32 locally established student learning goals. The department
2 33 shall summarize annually the school district reports and
2 34 submit the summary and any recommendations regarding the
2 35 grants and projects to the chairpersons and ranking members of
3 1 the senate and house standing education committees by January
3 2 1 of the school year succeeding the fiscal year in which the
3 3 appropriation is made.
3 4 Sec. 3. EMERGENCY RULES. The department of education may
3 5 adopt emergency rules under section 17A.4, subsection 2, and
3 6 section 17A.5, subsection 2, paragraph "b", to implement the
3 7 provisions of this Act and the rules shall be effective
3 8 immediately upon filing unless a later date is specified in
3 9 the rules. Any rules adopted in accordance with this section
3 10 shall also be published as a notice of intended action as
3 11 provided in section 17A.4.
3 12 EXPLANATION
3 13 This bill appropriates $500,000 for FY 1999-2000 from the
3 14 general fund of the state to the department of education for
3 15 grants to school districts for volunteer student mentoring
3 16 pilot projects.
3 17 The department of education is directed to administer and
3 18 approve grants on a competitive basis to school districts, or
3 19 collaborations of school districts, for implementation of
3 20 volunteer student mentoring pilot projects. To qualify for
3 21 grant moneys, school districts must submit to the department a
3 22 plan for a volunteer student mentoring pilot project. Grants
3 23 are to be equitably distributed geographically to three large,
3 24 three medium-sized, and three small school districts.
3 25 Priority shall be given to plans that meet the following
3 26 criteria:
3 27 1. Provide for structured mentoring and systematic
3 28 intervention in a technology-based program that assists
3 29 teachers in addressing accountability issues by aligning
3 30 curriculum and connecting teaching materials to student
3 31 achievement goals, and include a database that organizes and
3 32 manages student and mentor data as well as generating
3 33 individualized lesson plans that address the instructional and
3 34 developmental level, learning style, and learning objectives
3 35 for a specific student or group of students.
4 1 2. Are recognized as promising educational practices for
4 2 accelerating student achievement and increasing a student's
4 3 self-esteem and interest in school.
4 4 3. Include a statement of purpose and a long-range plan.
4 5 4. Include a volunteer recruitment plan targeting, among
4 6 others, parents, retired persons, students, and the local
4 7 business and labor community.
4 8 5. Provide for eligibility screening, orientation, and
4 9 training of mentors.
4 10 6. Include a mentor and student matching strategy,
4 11 monitoring, and evaluation process.
4 12 7. Provide a support, recognition, and retention
4 13 component.
4 14 School districts that receive grants are required to
4 15 submit, with their annual student achievement report to the
4 16 department, a report describing the impact the pilot project
4 17 had on the school district's progress in attaining student
4 18 achievement goals on academic and other core indicators and on
4 19 districtwide progress made in attaining locally established
4 20 student learning goals.
4 21 The department must summarize annually the school district
4 22 reports and submit the summary and any recommendations
4 23 regarding the grants and projects to the chairpersons and
4 24 ranking members of the senate and house standing education
4 25 committees.
4 26 The bill permits moneys appropriated for grants that remain
4 27 unencumbered or unobligated on June 30, 2000, to carry over
4 28 and be available for grants in the following fiscal year.
4 29 The bill gives the department of education emergency
4 30 rulemaking authority to implement the provisions of this bill.
4 31 LSB 1745SS 78
4 32 kh/cf/24
Text: SF00206 Text: SF00208 Text: SF00200 - SF00299 Text: SF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
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