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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