Text: HF00005 Text: HF00007 Text: HF00000 - HF00099 Text: HF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. Section 256.9, Code 2003, is amended by adding
1 2 the following new subsection:
1 3 NEW SUBSECTION. 52. Develop and maintain an internet site
1 4 outlining exceptional character education and service learning
1 5 programs. The department and the area education agencies
1 6 shall collaborate to develop and provide in-service and
1 7 preservice training programs through the area education
1 8 agencies and practitioner preparation institutions for the
1 9 establishment of character education and service learning
1 10 programs in school districts and accredited nonpublic schools.
1 11 The department shall also collaborate with nonprofit
1 12 organizations that promote character education and with the
1 13 business community to recognize schools with exemplary
1 14 character education and service learning programs.
1 15 Sec. 2. Section 256.11, unnumbered paragraph 1, Code 2003,
1 16 is amended to read as follows:
1 17 The state board shall adopt rules under chapter 17A and a
1 18 procedure for accrediting all public and nonpublic schools in
1 19 Iowa offering instruction at any or all levels from the
1 20 prekindergarten level through grade twelve. The rules of the
1 21 state board shall require that a multicultural, gender fair
1 22 approach is used by schools and school districts. The
1 23 educational program shall be taught from a multicultural,
1 24 gender fair approach. Global perspectives and character
1 25 education shall be incorporated into all levels of the
1 26 educational program.
1 27 Sec. 3. Section 256.11, subsection 5, Code 2003, is
1 28 amended by adding the following new paragraph:
1 29 NEW PARAGRAPH. k. Participation in service learning
1 30 projects. The board of directors of a school district or the
1 31 authorities in charge of a nonpublic school may require a
1 32 certain number of service learning units as a condition of
1 33 graduation from the district or school. For purposes of this
1 34 paragraph, "service learning" means the purposeful and
1 35 seamless integration of academic content, skills, and civic
2 1 values with service to the community into the curriculum.
2 2 Sec. 4. Section 280.12, subsection 2, Code 2003, is
2 3 amended by adding the following new paragraph:
2 4 NEW PARAGRAPH. f. Core character education values that
2 5 will assist students to develop socially, ethically, and
2 6 academically.
2 7 Sec. 5. NEW SECTION. 280.28 CHARACTER EDUCATION.
2 8 1. The board of directors of each public school district
2 9 and the authorities in charge of each nonpublic school shall
2 10 establish a character education plan for incorporating
2 11 character education into its educational program. The plan
2 12 shall include the core character education values developed by
2 13 the school improvement advisory committee appointed by the
2 14 board or the authorities pursuant to section 280.12.
2 15 2. The board and the authorities shall include the
2 16 character education plan, and any subsequent changes to a
2 17 plan, in the school district or school's comprehensive school
2 18 improvement plan submitted pursuant to section 256.7,
2 19 subsection 21.
2 20 3. The plan shall include performance measures and
2 21 performance goals. Public school districts and nonpublic
2 22 schools shall utilize the performance measures and performance
2 23 targets to annually assess the effectiveness of the plan, and
2 24 shall report districtwide and schoolwide progress made in
2 25 attaining character education performance goals and the effect
2 26 on school climate to the department of education and to the
2 27 local community. The report to the local community shall
2 28 include results and evaluation by individual attendance
2 29 center.
2 30 Sec. 6. STATE MANDATE FUNDING SPECIFIED. In accordance
2 31 with section 25B.2, subsection 3, the state cost of requiring
2 32 compliance with any state mandate included in this Act shall
2 33 be paid by a school district from state school foundation aid
2 34 received by the school district under section 257.16. This
2 35 specification of the payment of the state cost shall be deemed
3 1 to meet all the state funding-related requirements of section
3 2 25B.2, subsection 3, and no additional state funding shall be
3 3 necessary for the full implementation of this Act by and
3 4 enforcement of this Act against all affected school districts.
3 5 EXPLANATION
3 6 This bill requires school districts and accredited
3 7 nonpublic schools to incorporate character education in their
3 8 educational programs and requires that educational programs
3 9 for students in grades 9 through 12 include participation in
3 10 service learning projects. The bill permits districts and
3 11 nonpublic schools to require a certain number of service
3 12 learning units as a condition of high school graduation.
3 13 The bill requires school districts and accredited nonpublic
3 14 schools to establish character education plans, which must
3 15 include performance measures, performance goals, and core
3 16 character education values developed by existing school
3 17 improvement advisory committees composed of practitioners,
3 18 students, and members of the local community.
3 19 Plans must be annually assessed for effectiveness and
3 20 effect on school climate and submitted to the department and
3 21 the local community.
3 22 The bill requires the director of the department of
3 23 education to develop and maintain an internet site outlining
3 24 exceptional character education and service learning programs.
3 25 The bill also directs that the department and the area
3 26 education agencies (AEAs) collaborate to develop and provide
3 27 in-service and preservice training programs through the AEAs
3 28 and practitioner preparation institutions for the
3 29 establishment of character education and service learning
3 30 programs. The department is further directed to collaborate
3 31 with nonprofit organizations and the business community to
3 32 recognize schools with exemplary character education and
3 33 service learning programs.
3 34 The bill may include a state mandate as defined in Code
3 35 section 25B.3. The bill requires that the state cost of any
4 1 state mandate included in the bill be paid by a school
4 2 district from state school foundation aid received by the
4 3 school district under Code section 257.16. The specification
4 4 is deemed to constitute state compliance with any state
4 5 mandate funding-related requirements of Code section 25B.2.
4 6 The inclusion of this specification is intended to reinstate
4 7 the requirement of political subdivisions to comply with any
4 8 state mandates included in the bill.
4 9 LSB 1395HH 80
4 10 kh/pj/5
Text: HF00005 Text: HF00007 Text: HF00000 - HF00099 Text: HF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
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